


Ruby, Sapphire, & Turquoise

by Bravo Tango (Diamond_Wolves)



Category: Love Live! School Idol Project
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Bodyguard, Alternate Universe - Idols, F/F, Multi, OT3, Originally Posted on FanFiction.Net
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-05
Updated: 2018-12-03
Packaged: 2020-10-18 16:11:23
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 28
Words: 83,554
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20641985
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Diamond_Wolves/pseuds/Bravo%20Tango
Summary: The Number 1 Idol in the Universe doesn't need protection... until she saw two very sexy and lethal ladies. (Bodyguard AU)





	1. Pilot

**Hello and welcome to my very first multi-chapter story. If you are familiar with my work, I have been doing one-shots; I like to write my idea all in one piece. It will be challenging to cut it into chapters, but I'm interested to see how it goes.**

**Alright so this will be set in an alternate universe where private security and military companies have a lot of influence. Nico will continue her passion of idols whereas the rest of the group went elsewhere. The characters will be aged in the 20s - 30s. Original characters will probably be mentioned and I probably won't delve much into them. Don't be surprised if you see other references from anime, movies, etc. **

**Another thing is that I'm unfamiliar with the terminology and culture of Japan. This will probably mean that some things would seem out of place.**

**Right, that should be it so enjoy this train wreck. **

"Blah" — Speech

_'Blah' _— Thoughts

[ Blah ] — Text

**(Blah)** — Author's notes

**Disclaimer: I do not own any characters of Love Live! School Idol Project. This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author's imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.**

* * *

* * *

Pilot

"C'mon Ryu, do you really think I need protection?"

The man sighed, staring in exasperation at the young woman in front of him. Her black hair tied in twin-tails and her crimson eyes scowling at Ryu. "Miss Yazawa, with your fame on the rise, danger will follow."

Nico scoffed, "Who wants to hurt the best idol in the universe?"

"The death letters says otherwise."

"Tch."

Ryu sighed again, "At least go and see what they offer."

Nico starts to walk toward the exit, "Fine, I'll go before I change my mind."

"Even if you changed your mind, I won't stop asking you to hire bodyguards."

"Don't get too snappy at me; no one likes a smart-ass."

. . . . . . . . . . .

Muse Protective Service

_Offering the best because your life is priceless. _

Nico looks at the words on top of the building. '_Jeez, talk about cheesy.'_ She walks through the automated doors and sees a woman with ginger hair standing; she is wearing a black suit and slacks. _'Looks nice and it brings out her hair. I wonder if she's a bodyguard.'_

Hearing the doors slide open, the woman bounces over and beams at Nico. "Hi, I'm Honoka Kousaka and I'm the CEO of Muse Protective Service. You must be Miss Yazawa."

Nico blinked at the new information._ 'Grin and be polite all the way to the end.'_ "You can call me Nico; Yazawa makes me feel old."

"Alright Nico, now are you ready to hire us?"

_'Calm down there tiger.'_ Nico smiled, "Actually I would like to take a tour of the place; I like to know what I'm buying."

Honoka was eager as ever. "You're in luck since everyone is in today." She starts to walk farther inside the building with Nico following after the bubbly woman.

Trying to start some conversation, Nico asks, "Do you have a lot of employees?"

Honoka was excited to talk, "We don't have that much people in the company. But I assure you we are the best. Didn't you read about us?"

"Well," _'Shit shit,'_ "I wanted to hear it from you."

"Oh okay." It seems she bought it.

They reach to the first room in the hallway. On the side of the door there was a plate: _Armor Design. _Honoka knocks on the door, "Kotori can we come in?"

"Sure."

The CEO opens the door and the first thing Nico sees is fabric; suits, dresses, and all sorts of clothing hanging on racks.

"Whoa," Nico whispered, staring at the massive collection in front of her. It almost rivals her collection back at her house. Almost. After ogling the clothes, Nico notices a woman walking towards them. She was wearing a beige blouse and slacks as well.

Honoka and the woman gave a brief hug and turned to Nico so Honoka can give introductions. "This is Kotori Minami; she creates and designs clothes for us." Honoka gestures to Nico. "And this is Nico, our client."

"I haven't agreed to hire you yet."

Honoka's eyes flare up in determination, "Don't worry, you'll hire us."

Nico shakes her head and focus on Kotori. "Kotori right?" Nico sticks her hand out. "Nice to meet you."

Kotori grasped Nico's hand and shook it. "A pleasure to meet you."

Nico points to the general direction of the door. "So what's the deal with armor design?"

Kotori gestures an area with racks of suits. "I sew body armor into the clothes."

Honoka flares out her suit. "You're looking at a bullet-proof suit."

Nico looks at the other racks of dresses, "What about those? Do they have body armor?"

Kotori follows Nico's line of sight, "Oh no, I make commissions on my spare time."

Nico gesture to the rack, "May I?"

"Sure."

Nico walks over to one of the racks and runs her hand on a dress. "This is really nice."

"Thank you." Kotori walks to stand next to Nico.

Kotori looks at Nico and smirked, "You know, business has been slow lately... can I be your costume designer?"

"Hey!" Honoka protested.

Nico decides to play along, "With your talent, I'll pay you double."

Honoka runs over to Kotori, "Wait, you're not serious are you?" Kotori had her hand on her chin, contemplating the offer. The CEO hugs Kotori, "Please don't leave me."

"Pfft." Nico was the first to crack and both Nico and Kotori giggled.

Honoka pouted, "You suck." She walks out of the door, "Nico, we're going to the next area."

Nico turns back to Kotori, "Can I ask for commissions?"

"Of course and clients get a discount."

_'Oh you're good.'_ Nico follows Honoka out, "Nice, I'll be sure to call. It was nice meeting you."

"Likewise."

Nico catches up to Honoka, "You got a pretty good employee."

"Don't steal her."

"It's all fun and games. But her designs are really nice."

Before Honoka could retort, they reach to another room labeled: _Infirmary_. Honoka composed herself and knocks on the door, "Hey Maki, are you in?" Hearing a muffled '_Yes_', Honoka opens the door and allows Nico to go in first.

White is the first color Nico sees. She looks around and realizes it's the only color this room has; it looks so sterile. There are cabinets and beds in the room. Nico almost jumps when she notices someone standing and holding a clipboard. Because she was wearing a white lab coat, this 'Maki' person almost blended in with the room. The only thing that made her noticeable was her red hair. She oddly looks familiar to Nico

"Hey Maki." Honoka and Nico walk over to where Maki is. "This is our client Nico Yazawa,"

"Potential client; I'm still considering on hiring you."

"Anyway, this is our part-time doctor Maki Nishikino."

_'No wonder she looks familiar. What the hell is the Nishikino heir doing here?'_ "Wait part-time?"

Honoka scratches the back of her head, "Eheh, she technically doesn't work for us. She comes from time to time to do check-ups for us. And she patches us up for free."

Nico raised her eyebrow.

"Well Maki here was a client back then. Long story short, there was an incident and we saved her with the help of her friends. Because of that, she is our sponsor and doctor if any of us are injured."

Throughout the whole conversation, Maki did not say anything in their conversation. In fact, it doesn't even look like she is paying attention. Nico is going to fix that. She stuck her hand out. "I'm Nico."

The redhead finally speaks, "Hm, Honoka already introduced you."

Undeterred, Nico reached forward and took one of Maki's hands. She pulled it out and shook hands. "It's nice to meet you." Maki snap her head up to stare at Nico; she was surprised at the action. But she didn't pull away and let Nico shake her hand.

"...A pleasure. Now if you excuse me, I have to do some check-ups."

Honoka jumped at the opening, "Alright! Nico do you want to meet our agents?"

"Sure."

Honoka waved her to the door. "C'mon."

As they were walking out of the room, Honoka leaned in and loudly whispered, "Don't take Maki the wrong way; she's just nervous around new people and is excited to see both of her friends here."

"Honoka!"

The CEO just snickered as the door closes.

On their way to the next area, Nico is curious about Honoka's comment. "Are her friends working for you?"

"Oh yeah, one of them is an agent-in-training and the other one is our technician."

As they were walking another person came into view. She has light brown hair and has a pair of glasses on. She seems to be wearing a simple shirt and skirt. She also is holding on some folders. "Speak of the devil, here—"

"Oh my god! You're Nico Yazawa!" The person ran in front of Nico and her light-violet eyes sparkled. "I love all of your concerts!"

Nico chuckled, "It's nice to see one of my fans Miss..."

"Hanayo Koizumi, but ah," Hanayo fidgets. "Can I be called by my first name?"

_'Oh she is so adorable.' _"Alright Hanayo. So what do you do here?"

"Ah, well, I'm the technician so that means I maintain and operate our electrical equipment."

"It's great because she can give our agents vital info such as the layout of the building or an escape route." Honoka praised Hanayo.

Hanayo blushed at the compliments. "Um, this might be much, but can I have your autograph?" She looks around and mutters, "Oh no, I don't have a pen and my poster is in my office."

Nico came in to save the day, "Don't worry about it, you can go and get your stuff. I'll be waiting..." Nico looks at Honoka, "Is the next room the last one?"

"Yeah the training room is where your future guards are at."

Nico ignores the last part and looks back at Hanayo, "So meet us there when you've got your stuff."

"Thank you so much!" Hanayo runs off.

They reached the last room for the tour. This time Nico opens the door and sees that the room is the biggest she seen so far. On the far left side is occupied by free weights such as dumbbells, a squat rack, and a cable machine. Next to those are some treadmills and stationary bikes. On the far right seems to be filled with punching bags and training dummies.

The rest of the right side is filled with mats and there are four people on them. A blue-haired person is gesturing with a fake gun to the orange-haired one. They both are wearing simple black shirts and shorts with the μ's symbol plastered on the front. The other two are sparring with gear on. While their faces are covered, Nico sees that one of them has blonde hair while the other has purple hair; both of their hairs are tied in a ponytail.

Honoka begins her way to the blue and orange one. "Hey how's it going?"

Blue-hair was the first to answer, "Ah, hello Honoka." She gestures with the gun. "I'm teaching Rin on how to counter."

Orange-hair is the first to notice Nico. "Hi." She waves and then sticks her hand out. "I'm Rin Hoshizora."

Nico shook her hand. "It's nice to meet you. I'm Nico Yazawa."

Blue-hair and Honoka joins them. "Ah, this is the agent-in-training I was talking about." Honoka gestures to Blue-hair, "And this is Umi Sonoda; she is a veteran and has worked with me the longest."

Umi gives her hand. "A pleasure to meet you Miss Yazawa."

Nico shakes her hand. "Ditto, but call me Nico."

"I will take it under consideration."

_'A pro to the core huh.'_ Nico looks back at Rin, "You're friends with Maki and Hanayo?"

Rin nodded, "Mn-hm, we've known each other since high-school."

"So what made you take this kind of career?"

"Well it started when—" Rin was interrupted when the door opens and Hanayo comes in with Nico's merchandise. "Ah Kayo-chin!"

Umi cuts in to lecture to the recruit. "Rin how many times have I told you not to use nicknames."

"Eh but..."

The rest of the group talk but Nico ignores them when she notices that Blonde and Violet have stopped sparring. They took off their gear and Nico was treated with a glorious sight: The Blonde's leg have just the right amount of muscle definition to showcase their beauty and the Violet's breasts look like pillows where you could just sleep on. They have curves at the right places on their athletic bodies. Both of them are wearing sports bra and spandex shorts... seriously those shorts should be illegal with how short they are.

They both turn to look at the group and Nico was memorized by their eyes; it was if Nico has found sapphire and turquoise gems. Their eyes made contact and the idol can feel some heat rushing to her neck and face. Collecting herself, she turns to the group and realizes Kotori and Maki has joined in.

"Ahem." The group stops and Nico has their full attention. "You're hired."

* * *

* * *

**. **

**Fin for now.**

**Nico, you're drooling so close your mouth. **

**Well, well, well, now that was something. I'm a little bit nervous as this is my first multi-chapter story. It seems a little dull since I wanted to introduce our main ladies of this story. As the story progresses there will be original and Love Live characters introduced.**

**Just a little heads up:**

**-I really suck at action scenes.**

**-I really don't know a lot about guns and stances. But I will watch videos and do research.**

**-There will be inconsistent updates since I'm not used to dividing an idea into chapters. Also I will probably do other one-shots in between this project. And college.**

**-I'm still going to suck at Japan culture and their colloquialism and don't be surprised if I slip in some U.S. terms since it's very convenient. **

**If you have questions I'll be sure to answer in the next chapter or it could be revealed in the story.**

**For anyone who doesn't recognize the Kotori scene, I took inspirations from John Wick 2. When the tailor was talking to John about body-armor, I thought it was believable enough so my characters will get hurt but won't die. **

**Also, I was working on this that I forgot about Honk's birthday... Happy birthday... I guess.**

**Do you guys know anyone willing to do free art?**

**Anyway, see you on the next chapter.**

**Thank you for reading**

**Constructive criticisms are appreciated**

**Bravo Tango out.**


	2. Employees

**Hello and welcome back to another chapter. With most of the introductions out of the way, it should be easier to write the story.**

**Well, not much to say so let's get started. **

"Blah" — Speech

_'Blah' _— Thoughts

[ Blah ] — Text

*_Blah_* — Sound effects in speech

**(Blah)** — Author's notes

**Disclaimer: I do not own any characters of Love Live! School Idol Project. This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author's imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.**

* * *

* * *

_Getting Familiar with your Employees_

"You're hired."

It was silent for a few moments before Honoka did a fist pump. "Oh yeah!"

Umi cuffs the back of Honoka's head, "Stop that and behave yourself."

"Ehehe." Honoka waved Nico over, "Let's go to my office to sign the paperwork."

Nico nodded and walked over to the door with Honoka. She can hear the group's excited whispers about this development.

. . .

_Office room_

"Sign here." Honoka points at another line, "And here. Aaand here." She collected the papers, "Alright, now you're officially our client. Thank you for doing business with us."

Nico shrugs her shoulder, "It's no problem. So who will be with me?"

"Oh it'll be Umi, Rin—" Honoka slapped her forehead, "Crap."

"What's wrong?"

"I forgot that Umi and Rin are doing a training mission, but it will only be for a while."

Nico assures her, "It's good that she gets the experience. So who's left?"

"Eli and Nozomi will be your guards for the moment."

_'The Blonde and Violet?'_ "And they are?"

"Oh right I didn't get to introduce them to you; Eli is the one with blonde hair and Nozomi is the one with purple hair."

Nico nods her head; now she has names to their alluring eyes. _'What?'_ She shakes her head to get rid of that distracting thought. "Anyway, do you go for multiple clients?"

"Oh no we normally focus one client. But since Rin is our recruit, we had to adapt."

"I see."

"But don't worry, once they're done they'll come back and join you with Eli and Nozomi."

"Alright, when do I meet them?"

"Right, hold on for a moment." Honoka picks up a phone and pressed a few buttons. "Umi? Where are Eli and Nozomi?" A pause. "Alright. See you later." She puts the phone down. "They're in the showers right now. Do you want to wait for them?

"Sure, I'll go back to the training room to give Hanayo my autographs. Do you have to tell them where I'll be?"

"The showers and lockers are connected to that room so they'll see you when they're finished."

"Right. Well it's nice to meet you and hope to see you again."

"Same here."

. . .

Back at the training room Nico was signing her names on Hanayo's merchandise. "Wow, this is one few things they put out when I was starting; you really been my fan for a long time."

Hanayo blushes and fidgets under the praise. Just then a door opens and two figures walked out; it was Eli and Nozomi. This time they are wearing normal clothing rather than the distracting gear they had. Eli is wearing light blue blazer and brown pants. Nozomi is wearing a light turtle-neck with a red skirt. It looks so simple yet they pull it off.

As they were walking over to Nico, Hanayo composed herself and began gathering her stuff. "It's time for me to get to work. It was really nice to meet you in person and I hope to see you again."

While Nico was a little surprised at the professional behavior, she took it in stride. "It was great and I'll be sure to bring gifts next time."

Hanayo nods and walks out of the room, leaving the three of them alone. Nozomi is the first one to initiate the conversation. "Hi, I'm Nozomi Tojo." She waves to Eli, "And this is..."

Eli stepped forward, "I'm Eli Ayase. Umi told us that we'll be your security detail for the moment."

_'Time to make an impression.'_ "Hey, you might already know it but I'm Nico Yazawa; the best idol this world has ever seen." Eli remains stoic while Nozomi lets out a small giggle. _'One out of two eh?'_ "So what's the plan?"

They look at each other and then Eli answered, "We go where you go ma'am."

Nico was silent for a moment; she is not used to such obedience from someone. But she has to fix something first. "You don't have to be formal so just call me Nico."

"But—"

"C'mon, say it with me, _Nico._"

The blonde sighed, "Nico."

The idol smiled, "Good." She pulled out her phone and began swiping. "I don't have plans for today so want to eat lunch?"

"Sounds great." Nozomi smiled.

"Okay." Eli said. Nico mentally sighed, _'It's going to take a while to melt that wall.'_ She walks out of the door with her two new bodyguards following behind her.

. . . . . . . . . .

They are walking around a shopping plaza to look for somewhere to eat. Nico turns to them and ask, "What do you like to eat?"

Nozomi was the first to respond, "Something light since it's just the afternoon."

Eli was looking around the area, "Whatever is fine."

Nico stops and points at a sushi place. "How about there?" Nico notices that Eli twitched when she looked at the shop.

Nozomi had a weird smile on her face. "Sushi sounds good."

Eli was silent for a few seconds before nodded in assent. "Shall we go?"

The trio made their way over there and Eli opened the door for Nico and Nozomi. "Thank you."

Once inside, a waitress was waiting for them and bowed. "Hello and welcome to Hanzo's Sushi Belt. Would your party like to sit at the bar or table?"

Nico turns and sees that Nozomi and Eli are looking at her; looks like she'll be making the call. She turns back and smiles at the waitress. "We'll take the table."

The waitress smiles back and ushers them in. "Alright. Right this way please." She leads them to a table section in the middle of the restaurant. The party sat down with Eli and Nico sitting on one side while Nozomi sits on the other side. There was a small screen on top of the conveyor belt. "May I have your attention? Now to get a plate, you have to pop up the plate and pull it out." She then points at the screen, "This screen here allows you to order any plates and dishes that are not on the belt. Now, what type of drink would you like?"

"Water." They all said in unison. Nico and Nozomi cracked a smile and even Eli's lip twitched upwards.

"I'll be right back with your drinks." The waitress walks away.

"Right. Eli can you get that plate for me?"

"Sure." Eli picks up a plate of raw salmon sushi and gave it to Nico.

"Thanks."

"No problem." After that they began their meal. The waitress came back with their water while Eli and Nozomi pick up plates of sushi. After a several minutes of eating, Nico notices that Eli ignores a lot of plates sliding by. Hell, Nico saw Eli ignore nine plates in a row. So far, she notices that Eli avoids any plates that have seaweed in them.

Nico finally ask Eli, "Hey, do you hate sushi?"

Eli twitches at the sudden question. "I don't hate it."

"Then why did you ignore nine plates in a row?"

Eli paused, and then sighed, "I don't like seaweed."

"What? Why didn't you say anything earlier? Wait, was that why you twitched when we were outside?"

"You saw that?"

"Yeah. I didn't think much about it until now. So how come you didn't say anything?"

"It's nothing to complain about and we're just eating."

Nico decides to take a chance; she puts her hand on Eli's shoulder. "Eating out isn't just eating; it's an experience and you shouldn't suck it up just for my sake." Nico hesitated, but continued on, "And I want to have a good time with the both of you." She looks at both Eli and Nozomi. "So please, tell me what you like and don't like before we go out to eat."

Eli stared back at Nico.

Nozomi leans forward and whispered, "Elichi, you're staring."

Eli recovered from her stupor and replied back to Nico. "I... I'll be sure to tell you before we go out to eat next time."

Nico quickly realized she still has her hand on Eli's shoulder. She retracted her hand and nodded, "Good, now let's order some other food that doesn't have seaweed." Just as she was about to press the screen, she looked at Nozomi, "Wait, Elichi?"

Nozomi smiled, "Oh, just a little nickname for our cute Elichi here."

"Nozomi." Eli hissed, but was ignored.

Nico was curious about that, "Didn't Umi say not to use nicknames?"

"Umi is not here."

Nico shrugged, not really caring about that rule.

"Oh! How about a nickname for you to commemorate our first lunch date?"

"Uhh," Nico tries hard to not think about that last part. "Sure?"

"Alright. How about..." Nozomi puts a finger on her cheek, "Nicocchi."

"I guess." And so they ate the rest of meal with small talks about food.

The waitress came back with the bill. "I do hope everything was satisfactory?"

Nico dabs a napkin on her lips. "Everything was great." She sees the other two reaching in their pockets. "Oh, lunch is on me." She gives a credit card to the waitress to process the payment.

They waited until the waitress comes back. "Thank you and we do hope you come back."

"Thanks for the food." The trio walks out of the restaurant and felt the cool breeze. Nico pushed her arms up as she stretched. "That was good." She looks at a distance, "Hey, there's a park. Let's go there."

The trip throughout the park was very pleasant experience for the group. They walked under the shade of lush tress. Nico got to see some cute pets. "Oh wow, look at you cutie." She looks at the owner. "Can I pet them?" The owner nods and Nico proceeds to give the dog belly rubs. "Well aren't you fluffy."

Meanwhile Nozomi looks behind and saw something interesting. She pulls out her phone and calls Rin. _Ring Ring..._ "Hey Rin..."

Eli followed Nozomi's eyesight and was about to turn when Nozomi puts her hand up. After Nozomi finishes her call, she walks close to Eli and whispers, "I'll handle this one; watch over Nico." Eli nods.

Nozomi turns to Nico, "Oh my, I simply forgot something at the company."

Nico looks up from the dog, "What did you forget?"

"I simply forgot my baton but don't worry I called Rin."

"Wait." Nico stops petting the dog and gave thanks to the owner. "Is it legal to carry that?"

Eli is the one to answer that. "All private securities can be certified by the government to carry self-defense items."

"That's nice."

"Oh look," The violet-haired bodyguard points in a mobile snack truck. "Let's get some crepes over there."

"I'm in a mood for something sweet. Eli?"

Eli nods. "Alright."

Nico looks at the crepes truck to see there was a moderate-sized line. "What flavors do you girls like?"

Before Eli responds, Nozomi spoke first. "I don't like caramel in mine." Nozomi starts walking. "Also Elichi here just ~loves~ chocolate."

"Nozomi!" Eli's cheek was lightly pink.

"Wait, you're not coming with us?" Nico asks.

"Ah, don't worry, I'm meeting Rin nearby I won't be far."

Nico stares at her for a few seconds. "Alright. Eli lets go." The duo walks to the truck. As Eli passes Nozomi, she gives a subtle nod. Nozomi reciprocated the gesture as she watches them go. After making sure they were away a considerable distance, Nozomi slinks away.

.

_In line in front of the truck_

Nico and Eli are now waiting in line to buy their crepes. After a moment of silence, Nico looks at Eli, "So you're okay with that nickname?"

Eli just sighs in resignation, "It's just something I accepted."

"Oh? How long have you been her partner?"

"Just a little over a year."

"Really? Then how long have you been in the company?"

"Nozomi and I actually joined the company about two years ago."

"Ohh." Nico had another thought. "How old are you?"

They walk a couple steps. "I'm 29 but I'll be turning 30 soon."

"Hmm." Nico takes note of that and changes topics. "So you and chocolate huh?"

Eli heaves another sigh but her eyes gleam at the prospect of chocolate.

Nico perked up at that reaction. "You really must love chocolate." Nico feels a little mischievous, "So if you had to choose between protecting chocolate or me, which would it be?"

"What kind of question..."

.

_Earlier..._

_Click Click_

Nozomi is standing behind a man holding a camera. She taps on her phone for a few moments before she put away her phone and taps his shoulder. "Excuse me sir, what are you doing?"

The man swirls around at the unexpected touch. "I um, am taking pictures."

"Really? Of what?"

"Of... of birds?"

"Oh my, may I take a look?"

The man starts to fidget. "Um, no?"

"Hmmm, now that's a problem. You have two options: You could either deal with me or with society."

"Wait, what?"

Nozomi has her hand out, "A grown man with a camera sulking in a park with kids around. Awfully suspicious don't you think?"

The man starts to sweat under the pressure.

"5."

The man's face paled considerably

"4."

"I'm just taking pictures of birds."

"3."

"I'm being serious here."

"2."

The man snapped, "Oh come on! She's 30 years old." The man snapped his mouth shut, but it was too late.

Nozomi smiled, "My oh my, I thought you were taking pictures of birds." She still has her hand out. "The camera please."

The man takes off the neck strap, but paused.

Seeing his hesitation, Nozomi cups her hands around her mouth and takes a deep breath.

The man widens his eyes and pushed the camera toward Nozomi. "Alright! Here."

"Thank you." Nozomi accepts the camera and looks through it; there are pictures of the three of them in various locations and angles. "Oh my, these are very cute birdies." Nozomi looks up at the man. "So why are you taking pictures of her?"

The man shrugged in defeat, "She is getting higher in the popularity polls so I thought I would make some money selling the pictures."

"So you're freelance paparazzi?"

"Sure."

"Well, thank you for your camera."

"Now hold on—"

"A new deal." Nozomi interrupts. "I can keep the camera or you can try to get it back and have society label you a stalker."

"You wouldn't."

Nozomi just smiled.

"Fine."

"Great. Now smile." _Click_

The man jerked. "Hey! You can't take my picture without permission."

Nozomi just stared at him. "The hypocrisy of that statement is just amazing. Don't worry about your picture; it just insurance should you get any... ideas to try this again. May I offer a suggestion? Find a job that doesn't hurt anyone." Nozomi waves her hand, "Bye bye."

The man sighs and walks away. After he is gone, Nozomi looks at Eli and Nico; they are close to the front of the line now. She hears a set of footsteps coming from behind and turns to see Rin there. "Ah Rin, thanks for coming."

"No problem Nozomi."

"Are you ready for your mission with Umi?"

"Yeah, but I got time to do a small errand, so where's the guy?"

"I dealt with the paparazzi and I got a free camera in the process. Here." She hands the camera to Rin. "Have Hanayo check the pictures and make a copy of the last picture; it's our paparazzi man. Once she's done, destroy the camera."

Rin salutes, "Roger."

"Good luck on your last training mission Rin."

"Thanks Nozomi and break a leg on your mission." Rin runs back to the company.

Nozomi chuckles, "Hopefully I don't have to." She makes her way to the duo.

.

_Tables near the truck_

Nico is holding two crepes as watches Eli indulge on her chocolate crepe. "Wow, she wasn't kidding about you loving chocolate."

Eli slightly blushes but continues to stuff her face. "It's good."

Nico sees Nozomi walking towards them. "Hey Nozomi, did you get your stuff?"

Nozomi pats the side of her waist, "Yup."

She sits down and Nico offers one of the crepes. "I made sure there isn't any caramel."

Nozomi accepts the offer. "Thank you."

And so, they ate in comfortable silence and enjoyed the scenery. There are kids playing on the playgrounds as parents watch from a safe distance and people walking around the park with their pets leading them.

Nico finishes her crepe and sighs, "Ah, that hit my sweet spot." Nico looks at her bodyguards who finished their treat as well. "So what do you girls think of today?"

Nozomi was the first to say, "Today has been very enjoyable."

"It was..." Eli cracked a smile. "Nice."

Nico stares at Eli's face, _'Wow._ She looks so cute when she smiles." *_Gasp_* Nico snaps her hands to cover her mouth and blushed.

Nozomi has her hands on both of her cheeks. "Oh my, how bold of you."

_'Please kill me.'_ Nico sinks down on the table and covers her face with her arms. '_Why the fuck did I blab that out?!'_

Eli has a small blush when she stares at Nico in shock. "Um..."

Nozomi came in with a save, "I agree with you there Nicocchi, I think that Elichi looks extra cute when she smiles."

"Wait, what do you mean extra cute?" Eli attention has shifted to Nozomi and they argue over Eli's cuteness.

Nico looks at Nozomi in gratitude for saving her. _'Thank you my big-boobed goddess.'_ It seems that lady fortune shines upon Nico to day for her phone rings. She picks it up and swipes to answer, "Hey Ryu."

"Ah, Nico, are you busy?"

Nico looks at her bodyguards arguing over what's cute or not. "Nah."

"Alright. The reason I called you is because our agency wants you to hold a min-concert to celebrate you entering the popular charts."

"When will it be held?"

"They want the concert to open in about a month."

"A month?" Eli and Nozomi stopped talking and looked at Nico.

"It may be sudden but we can arrange another time."

"I'll do it." Nico's eyes flare in determination. She's going the entire way and not half-ass it; especially for her fans.

"Alright, we'll talk more tomorrow."

Nico puts the phone down and focuses on them. "We'll be holding a concert in about a month."

Both of them switched to serious mode, "We will probably need information on the building—"

"Wait." Nico raised her hand up. "Can we enjoy the rest of today? We can get to work tomorrow."

They look at each other for a moment before Nozomi answers, "Sure."

Nico jumps up and walk at a direction with her bodyguards following. "Nice! I heard that there was a nice place we can..." Nico is not going to waste a moment of today because it's going to be a hectic month.

* * *

* * *

**. **

**And le fin. **

**You know the part when I said it would be easier to write the story? Yea I lied to myself. **

**My first impression of writing multi-chapters is... *swipes forehead* very difficult: **

**-Sometimes I don't know when to end a chapter.**

**-I like keep in mind on how the character behaves and make sure they don't anything out of character. **

**-Gotta make sure that when development happens, it stays. (Ex: The bond between the trio is deep in one chapter, then all of sudden Eli is cold to Nico out of nowhere in another chapter.) **

**-I think the hardest is to make sure there are no continuity errors. **

**I didn't get to say it last time, but there will be some changes on law over at Japan: Private security can have licenses to carry self-defense weapons such as retractable batons or Tasers. The company has to pass annual tests to get and renew their certificates with the government. **

**Sushi is fucking bomb but the only complaint I have is that they are so small.**

**By the time that this is updated, school is going to start so updates will be really slow. But no worries I got other one-shots to make sure you can look out for those.**

**Thanks for reading**

**Constructive criticisms are appreciated**

**Bran Tango out. **


	3. Show

**Hey hey hey. How's it going my fellow readers and welcome to another chapter of RST. **

**Not much to say so let's get this going.**

"Blah" — Speech

_'Blah' _— Thoughts

[ Blah ] — Text

*_Blah_* — Sound effects in speech

(_Blah_) — Author's notes

**Disclaimer: I do not own any characters of Love Live! School Idol Project. This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author's imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.**

* * *

* * *

_Show your Money's Worth_

Nico groggily opened her eyes and yawned as she rose up from her bed. She looks to the side to see the clock read out: _7:00 AM. 'Let's do this.'_ She pulls away the covers and gets out of the bed. Nico picks up the remote and turns on the TV. The first to show was a man wearing a black beret waving his hands. _Click._

A fit woman was leading a dance group. _Click._

Two cops are chasing a hooded man. _Click._

"And today is a great day with the sun out and a cool breeze..." Nico puts the control down and stretched. After that, she goes to the bathroom to start off her day.

_20 minutes later..._

_Knock Knock_

Nico opens the door to see Eli and Nozomi carrying trays of food. "Oh breakfast. Come in." She moved to the side so the bodyguards can come in. After closing the door, Nico turns to see that they have already set the tray down the table. Walking over there, she sees her first meal and picks up a strawberry-banana parfait. "Thank you."

"It's no problem." Nozomi cuts an apple while Eli picked up a banana. As they dig into breakfast, Nozomi breaks the comfortable silence, "Nicocchi, would it be okay to discuss a few thing now?"

Nico swallowed a spoonful of yogurt, "Sure."

"Elichi and I would like to go to the stadium to look over the security."

Nico raises her eyebrow, "Who's going to be my guard?"

"We'll call Honoka to come in as a temporary guard." Eli adds in.

The idol recalls her fist meeting with the ginger, "She used to be a bodyguard right?"

"Yes." Nozomi affirms Nico's guess.

Nico mentally goes over her schedule: She would be practicing her dance routine and going over the lyrics for the first two weeks. She shrugs, "Sure. I'll have my manager take you over to the stadium."

Nozomi smiled, "Thank you for listening to our request."

"It's no big deal."

Eli has her phone out, "Where should I tell Honoka to go?"

Nico finished her meal, "We'll meet up at the office."

. . . . . . . . . .

_Office_

The trio walked up to the front door when a black SUV rolled up and parked. The car's engine turns off and door opens to reveal Honoka. She waves her hand, "Hey girls."

Nico waved back, "Hey Honoka."

Honoka got out of the car and walked up to them. "It looks like I came just in time."

Nozomi opens the door to let the party through and they walk up the stairs. They reached to a door with _Rising Star_ stenciled into it. Nico opens the door and they entered. In the middle of the room there is a couch and some chairs in front of a blackboard. On the side there is a refrigerator and a coffee machine; it seems to be their break room. Farther in the room there is a table, chair, and a computer.

One man is at the table and typing on the keyboard. He looks up to see the group and stands up, "Ah Nico. Good morning."

"Morning, Ryu." Nico gestures to the man. "This is my manager, Ryu." She gestures to her guards. "This is Eli, Nozomi, and Honoka."

"Ah, you must be Nico's bodyguards." Ryu walks around to exchange greeting and pleasantries. After that was done, he turns to Nico, "Are you ready to go?"

"Wait," Nico points at Eli and Nozomi, "Can you take these two to the stadium?"

"Oh?"

Eli elaborates, "We want to look over the stadium to make sure it's safe for Nico. Are there any security guards there as well?"

"I believe so."

"We would like to see how trained they are."

Ryu was silent for a while as he looks over the group, "Who will protect and take Nico to the studios? We're in a tight schedule."

Honoka raises her hand, "I'll protect her. Just give me her schedule and I'll take her there."

"Well, I see no problems with the changes." He gestures to the door, "Shall we go?"

. . . . . . . . . .

_Dance Studio_

"Alright. And a 1, 2, 3..." Nico is slowly dancing the steps to master her routine while the instructor guides the idol and Honoka watches from the sideline.

"Aaaand stop. Good work there Nico. You made good progress on the routine." The instructor looks at the clock, "We've been at this for an hour so let's take a break. We'll get back in ten minutes." She walks to a corner of the room.

Nico was sweating and panting from all the training, "Thanks Aya." She walks to Honoka who is holding a towel and a bottle of water. Nico took the towel first and wiped the sweat off. After that, she grabs the bottle and takes a swig. "Thanks Honoka."

Honoka grinned, "No problem."

"So how's the group doing at the company?"

Honoka places a finger on her lip to contemplate. "Well Umi and Rin are still on their mission while Hanayo is helping Eli and Nozomi to increase security."

"How is she going to do that?"

"She'll look through the blueprints of the stadium to give info for Eli and Nozomi. She'll also install cameras if the stadium doesn't have them. But they have a month so that's plenty of time to prepare."

"Hmm."

"Let's see... Kotori is resewing Eli and Nozomi's suits since we got a shipment of new armor parts."

Nico took another swig. "That's nice."

"And Maki is running her hospital since no one got hurt so far."

"Well, it's good that everyone is doing well."

Honoka paused for a while and then spoke again. "Nico may I be blunt?"

Nico looks at Honoka and raises her eyebrow, "Sure?"

"This situation is... new to us. Most if not all of our clients stay out of the public light. You, on the other hand, your whole career is to be in it. Most of us are trained but we don't have experience dealing with large crowds." Honoka's eyes flashed, "But we will adapt and do everything in our power to keep you safe."

Nico puts her hand on Honoka's shoulder, "It's going to be fine. After meeting all of you and getting to know Eli and Nozomi, I trust you girls."

Honoka smiled, "Thanks for the vote of confidence."

Nico flashed her signature pose, "I'm going to be number 1 and I'm taking you girls with me."

But they were interrupted when Aya clapped her hands, "Alright breaks over so let's get to it."

Nico walks back to the center, "Back to the grind."

. . . . . . . . . .

_Nighttime at the hotel..._

Nico, Eli, and Nozomi are all in Nico's room. Nico gives her guards glasses of water. "So how's the stadium?"

They both thank her and Nozomi is the one to answer. "It was abysmal. The security there lacks proper training."

"There are also not many cameras covering the area." Eli adds in. "We'll probably have to go back to train them."

"Are you okay with Honoka staying with you Nicocchi?"

Nico shrugs, "It's cool. She's good company."

"Alright." Eli and Nozomi start to walk out of the room. "See you tomorrow."

Nico waves at them, "Good night."

. . . . . . . . . .

_Time-skip..._

In the first two weeks, Nico goes over her dance routine, songs, and her costumes with Honoka on the sidelines. On some days Nico would see Eli and Nozomi with the guards when she practices at the stadium. The remaining days are spent with Nico promoting her event. Nico also offered tickets to Kotori and Maki for the event. At first Maki declined but Hanayo was able to convince her to go and told her to take time off.

Eli and Nozomi have been training the guards at the stadium to make sure they are at peak conditions. They also made sure that they have secured getaway paths in case anything happens.

_Now..._

Nico and Honoka are currently waiting at the front of the hotel; Eli and Nozomi are in their rooms changing into their new suits. To pass the time, Nico looks over at Honoka, "You look pretty good."

Honoka is wearing a similar suit when they first met. "Thanks."

"Are Kotori, Maki and Hanayo there yet?"

Honoka nodded, "Yup. Hanayo is setting up in the surveillance center and Maki and Kotori are in the VIP section."

"Nice."

"Sorry we took so long." Nico and Honoka turn to Nozomi's voice. What the idol saw floored her; Eli and Nozomi are in their three-piece suits. Their black suit jackets are in one-button in which Nico assumes to allow them easy access for their weapons. She can see that they both wear black vests and white dress shirts underneath it. The obvious difference between them is that Eli has a dark blue tie while Nozomi has a dark green tie.

Nico shook herself out of a daze. "Wow, you two look amazing."

Eli smiled slightly, "Thank you."

Nozomi smooths her jacket, "Why thank you, Kotori really outdid herself."

But Nico was curious about one thing, "Can you move in that? I heard that suits feel stiff."

"Oh yeah." Nozomi demonstrated that she has a large range of motion in the suit.

Honoka smirked, "You underestimate Kotori's skill."

Nico chuckles, "Alright alright."

Eli opens the back-seat door of the SUV and offers her hand to Nico. "Shall we go?"

Nico accept her hand and climbed in. "Let's."

. . . . . . . . . .

_Stadium_

The SUV rides up to the stadium's side entrance. There are barriers dividing between the guards and fans. Once the car stops, Eli, Nozomi, and Honoka got of the car; they quickly look around the area. After confirming the area is safe, Eli opens the door and Nico steps out.

"Oh my god it's Nico!" The crowd goes wild over their star.

Nico went into her signature pose, "Nico-Nico-nii is happy that you all came today." Somehow the crowd even went louder.

Nozomi leaned in and whispered, "We should get going Nicocchi."

Nico nodded, "Alright." She waves at the crowd, "See you soon and have a good time."

Nico and the guards walk through the door, but they still can hear the cheering. Honoka glances at Nico, "Your fans really love you."

Nico smiled, "Of course. My goal is to make everyone smile."

"A noble goal." Eli comments.

Nico beams higher under the compliment as they reach to the dressing room. Nico turns to the other two guards. "You two keep watch out here." Nico, Honoka, and a team of designers go in.

They nodded and took positions at the front of the door.

(_Shift to Eli's view_.)

Eli slowly scans the area as Nozomi leans against the wall. After a while Nozomi turns to Eli, "Why do you think Nico told us to wait outside?"

Eli shrugs, "Probably because there would be too many people in the room."

"Then why not one if us to go in with her?" Nozomi smirked, "You should've gone in since you're the cute one."

Eli blushes and sighs; she continues to look ahead to avoid Nozomi.

Nozomi was relentless, "I mean you're really cute when you smile."

Before Eli could be teased any longer the door opens. Eli turns around and her eyes widened slightly at Nico's costume. Her hair is in twin-tails tied with flowers and pink ribbons. She is wearing a white sleeveless blouse with a big ribbon at the front collar. On her arms there are detachable white sleeves that reach up to her biceps. Looking lower, Eli sees a frilly skirt that reaches just below her knees with the color scheme of pink, red, and gold. To finish off the look, Nico has knee-high stocking and red 3-inch heels.

Nico looks at her guards, "I wanted to surprise you two."

Nozomi snaps her fingers, "So that's why you want us outside."

Nico poses a little, "So what do you think?"

"You look really cute Nicocchi."

Eli snaps out of her daze as they wait for her answer. She blushes a little and try to not look at Nico's eyes. "You... look really nice."

Nico smiles, "Thanks."

Honoka pops from the back, "I gotta say that the costume looks really nice. I bet that Kotori will like it."

Nico looks back and smirks, "I'm going to dazzle everyone. Let's go."

The three guards escort the idol to the backstage of the stadium. Once there, they see many people working to make sure everything goes to plan. Honoka goes over to a few guards and starts talking to them. Nozomi stays with Nico while Eli trails behind. Eli pulls her jacket's lapel up and whispers, "Hanayo do you read me?"

"Reading you loud and clear."

"How are things on your end?"

"The cameras are working well and the exit routes remain clear."

"Good. Keep me posted if anything changes."

"Roger that."

Eli focuses back to Nico and sees that Honoka has joined back the group. She walks over and joins them as well. It seems that Nico is about to go on stage. "Good luck Nico."

"Thank you. I'll show you all why I'm Number 1." She struts to the center stage. "What's up my lovely peeps!"

The crowd roars.

"Thank you. Without you, I wouldn't be here. Let me show you my thanks." She goes into her signature pose. "Nico-Nico-Nii."

The crowd imitates her, "Nico-Nico-Nii."

Nozomi playfully shakes her head, "Where does she get all her energy?"

Eli checks her gear one more time: She opens her jacket and touches the right side of her hip; her baton is secured in its holster. She lightly pats the backside to feel a couple heavy-duty zip ties. After that, she traces her jacket. _'Kotori really outdid herself. I could barely feel the stiffness.'_ Done with her gear-check, Eli stands vigil as Nico dance and sings for her fans.

_Two hours later..._

Eli could see Nico sweating and panting, but the idol stood proud. Nico raises both of her arms to the air. "Thank you for coming tonight!" She walks to the backstage where all three guards are waiting. Eli has a towel and bottle of water in her hands. "That was a great performance Nico."

"I can see why the fans love you." Nozomi chimed in.

"Thanks." Nico accepts the towel and bottle of water. "Let's go back to the hotel and celebrate with everyone."

"I'll be sure to tell everyone." Honoka said as Eli and Nozomi ushers Nico to the exit.

But a gate opens and fans come pouring through. The security was able to form a line in time and prevented the fans from passing.

"What the fuck?" Honoka swears. She turns to the group. "Take Nico to safety." She then points to an extra group of guards standing there. "You. Do your job and don't let anyone through."

Nozomi and Eli lead Nico back to the hallways; Nozomi is at the front while Eli is behind Nico. Eli has one hand on Nico's back while her other hand is clutching the lapel of her jacket. "Hanayo, route A is compromised. We're moving to route B. Any changes?"

"No changes. Just a couple of janitors in the hallway."

They make quick time as they pass through the hallway. As Hanayo said, there are a couple janitors sweeping the floor. Just as they were about to reach the door, Hanayo's voice crackles in Eli and Nozomi's ears. "Wait I don't recognize the janitors' faces."

Eli eyes widened and she twists her head to see one of the 'janitors' has a broom raised over his head ready to strike Nico. Adrenaline pumps through her veins instantly, Eli grabbed Nico's waist and pushed the floor as hard as she could. They both flew and the broom barely missed Nico's head.

Nozomi reacted instantly and raised her leg to kick her heel into the assailant's shoulder, sending him flying back. Nozomi takes her retractable baton and swung it out, letting it extend to its full length.

Eli pushed herself up and helped Nico onto her feet. She instantly took her baton out and looked for the other assailant. But he was nowhere to be seen and a door was opened where they were 'cleaning.' A door opened to her right side and the man charged through with a kitchen knife. Nico yelped when Eli pushed her back as the man missed them. "Nico stand back."

The man steps forward to thrust his knife forward. Eli steps to the left with her left arm catching the man's forearm and veered the knife to the side. She then thrusts the baton into the man's armpit, forcing the man to flinch back in pain. Eli pivots her legs and slams the end of the baton into the man's wrist. The force broke bone and he dropped the knife.

Eli placed her foot on the knife to slide it away and the she raised her leg up to slam it down on the back of his knee; the man crumpled like a house of cards. Eli instantly places her knee on his back but the man struggles to get her off. She stabs the baton into his kidney, ceasing any resistance. Eli dropped her baton and took her zip tie to bind his hands.

The man glares at Nico and hissed, "Fucking bitch doesn't deserve—" Eli punches his kidney again to shut him up.

Eli looks up to see Nozomi already finished her opponent and tied him up. The blonde picks up her baton to retract it and placed it back to the holster. The door from where they came from opens with Honoka and a team of guards behind her. It seems Hanayo called Honoka. "Go! Get her out here. We got this."

Eli takes the lead as Nozomi leads Nico behind her. She opens the door to see their car with a team of guards securing the perimeter. Eli goes to the driver side as Nozomi ushers Nico to the back. Once they buckled up, Eli takes off. Eli would occasionally look at the rear-view mirror to check on Nico.

Nico's whole body is shaking, "Holyshitholyshitholyshit."

Nozomi opens a soda can and offers it to Nico. "Here. Drink this."

Nico accepts and takes a sip.

Nozomi tilts the can, "More."

After Nico is done with the can, Nozomi takes it to place it in the cup-holder. She then rubs small circles on Nico's back and assure her to take some of the shock off. It was silent in the car except for Nozomi's whispers. After some time, Nico finally looks up and catches Eli's eyes at the mirror. She smiles slightly, "Stop pinching your eyebrows. You're going to get wrinkles."

That dissipates some of the tension in the car. Eli smiles softly, "We're almost at the hotel." A few minutes pass by in comfortable silence when they finally reached the hotel parking lot. Eli is the first one to get out and quickly scans the area. Seeing no threat at the moment, Eli nods at Nozomi and turns off the car.

Eli walks ahead while Nozomi and Nico are behind. When they reached the front door Nico stops. "Nico?"

Nico takes a deep breath and straighten her posture. She then plasters a smile and strides into the hotel lounge. Eli and Nozomi look each other for a moment before following Nico. Once inside, Nico walks and greets the staff; she would smile and wave at them. They made their way to the elevator and Eli pressed the button to the floor they are on.

As the doors closed, Nico sighed and leaned heavily on Eli; Eli instinctively wrapped her arm around Nico and easily kept her up. "Nico?"

"Just tired." Nico mumbled.

_Ding_

Nozomi took point and made their way to Nico's room and got in. Nico slowly peeled off of Eli and ambled to the bathroom. Eli made to follow but Nico raised her hand. "It's okay. I'm just taking a shower."

Eli nods and Nico closed the door. Eli waits until she hears water and takes out her phone to call Honoka. _Ring. Ring._ Honoka voice comes through, "Eli?"

"Hey Honoka. What's the situation over there?"

"Things have settled down and the assailants are taken to the police. They told us we'll be first to know who they are, but I'm having Hanayo to look for more info on them."

"Alright."

"...How's Nico?"

Eli looks at the bathroom door for a moment and looks away. "She's shaken but other than that she's fine."

Honoka sighs, "That's good. Also I'll talk with Ryu to make sure she gets some days off."

"Alright."

"Right. I'll call you when Hanayo got something." The call ends.

Eli relays the discussion to Nozomi. After she's done, Nozomi comments, "I'm a little curious on who they are."

"For now, we'll have to wait."

The water stops and the guards wait several minutes before Nico open the door and walks out; she's in her pajamas and has her hair down. Nozomi goes by her side and helps the idol to the bed. "Have a good night Nicocchi. We'll be outside."

"Wait." They paused. "Can you two stay here? I mean, the both of you are already here so there's no point of going outside."

Eli looks at Nozomi and can tell that Nozomi can see through Nico as well. But she doesn't push it. "Of course."

Nico quickly turns around and pulls the cover over her head. "Alright. Well, goodnight you two."

"Goodnight Nicocchi." Nozomi sits on the couch.

Eli pulls a chair and placed it near the bed to sit down. "Goodnight Nico."

* * *

* * *

**.**

**And fin for now. **

**Man, this is the first time I wrote an action scene so I hope I did well.**

**Now for some notes for the story in order: **

**-For the dates of this story it will be loosely similar to real life. That way the timeline is somewhat comprehensible and I could add in holidays or birthdays into the story.**

**-I actually don't know how busy idols are. I don't know if they have a team of managers or just one.**

**-Seeing ladies in suits is just too sexy for me.**

**-You might have noticed that the concert scene is very similar. That's because I had an inspiration when I saw Taken. Unfortunately I don't have much reference beside games and TV shows. I wonder if there is anything out there that shows a bodyguard's life. **

**-Another thing I tried to do is to have Eli see Nico break character and try to recover; I hope that it was conveyed well.**

**With that out of the way, let's talk about this story. I think I'm repeating myself, but with school and other stories, the updates are going to be inconsistent. **

**Thanks for reading**

**Constructive criticisms are appreciated**

**Bravo Tango out.**


	4. Aftershock

**Welcome back to another chapter of RST.**

"Blah" — Speech

_'Blah' _— Thoughts

[ Blah ] — Text

*_Blah_* — Sound effects in speech

(_Blah_) — Author's notes

**Disclaimer: I do not own any characters of Love Live! School Idol Project. This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author's imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.**

* * *

* * *

_Dealing with the Aftershock_

"Mmmnh." Nico rubbed her eyes as she woke up. She pushed herself up the bed and looks around the room; Nozomi is on the couch reading a book and Eli was on the chair watching the TV.

Eli must have heard her because she turned to Nico and turned off the TV. "Ah good morning Nico."

Nozomi looks up and closed her book. "Hey there sleepyhead."

"*_Yawn_* Morning." Nico covered her mouth as she yawned.

Eli scooted herself and the chair to give Nico space. "How are you feeling?"

Nico threw the sheets off and place her feet in her slippers. "Tired but better than yesterday." She stood up and stretched her body.

The bodyguards got up as well. "Your manager told us that you have some days off."

"Oh yeah? Nice."

Eli smooths out her suit, "Any plans?"

Nico pauses and puts her hands on her hips. After a moment, she sighs and finally turns to them. "I might as well go home." She took a whiff. "But first you gotta take a shower. After you're done let's get some breakfast."

. . . . . . . .

After breakfast, they all checked out of the hotel and are on their way to Nico's house. They diverted some time so Nico can buy groceries. With that done, Nico would give directions to Eli as they entered a suburban neighborhood. Finally they reached their destination to see a light-pink two-story house; the design looks western.

Nico steps out of the car, "Ahhhh. It still looks great."

As the guards got off the car, Nozomi turns to look at Nico. "You don't go home that often?" Then she and Eli walk to the back to pick up the groceries.

"Not much and thanks for the help." Nico makes her way to the front with her guards trailing behind her. "I got this house around... four months ago. I was able to unpack most of my stuff before I got too busy. On some days I would have time to clean up." She unlocks the door and walks inside. "But it's been some time so be careful of the dust."

Inside, the stairs are on the left while the living room was on the right. There were a couple of couches, a table, and a large flat-screen TV occupying the space. There's also a window facing the front yard. In front of them is the kitchen; Nico tilted her head, "C'mon, let's put away the food while I give a mini-tour."

They followed Nico inside while she begins the tour. "The door in front leads out the backyard." On the left there is a wall where a section is cut off. Through the hole, you could see another room that is slightly lower than the first floor. A small table with two chairs is leaning against said wall. Nico points to the right, "Fridge is over there so let's go there first."

After opening the fridge door, Nico gave small sigh, "Lucky there were not a lot of fruits and veggies." The guards passed the food to Nico and she began filling the space. On the right of the fridge are a microwave and another door which leads to a space filled with a dinner table. Behind them there is a sink, oven, and another table that simulates a bar stand with a few bar stools. They are connected to form an inverted blocky U.

Done with food, Nico closed the door and turned to see them looking around the place. Nozomi couldn't help but comment, "You have a lot of tables for living alone."

Nico shrugs, "Eh, they came with the house. And who knows? Maybe I can host a little party or something like that." She waves them over. "C'mon." They followed her to the lower-leveled room. There is a hallway at the left corner of the room. "It leads to a second bathroom, laundry, and the garage door. Now let's go upstairs."

They walk up the stairs to reach a hallway. On their left there is a single door. "This is my bedroom." On their right there are four doors. "There is a bathroom, two bedrooms, and an empty room." Nico hesitated before asking, "Would it be alright if you two stay here?" Nico waves her hands. "For convenience and all that."

"It was our plan from the start." Eli assures her.

Nico takes a mental sigh, "Sorry if the rooms are small."

Nozomi turns around, "It's alright Nicocchi since we packed light."

"Cool."

The guards walked down the stairs to drive the car in the garage and get their luggage.

_20 minutes later..._

The guards have finally settled their clothes and gears in their respective rooms. After that, all three of them are lounging in the living room just watching TV.

In the middle of a show, Eli's phone goes off. Eli takes her phone to see Honoka's name. She accepts the call and puts the phone to her ear. "Hey Honoka."

"Hey. How's everyone?"

"We're fine. All of us are at Nico's house."

"This will be easy then. We have information of the attackers from yesterday. Can you ask Nico if she wants to know?"

"Sure." Eli turns to Nico who turns off the TV. "Nico, Honoka has information of the people who attacked you. Do you want to listen in?"

Nico hesitated, remembering last night's events. But she took a deep breath and firmly nodded her head.

Eli pressed a button and placed the phone on the table. "You're on speaker Honoka."

"Hey Nozomi and Nico."

"Hey."

"Yo."

"So about last night's attackers." There are sounds of paper rustling on Honoka's side. "Their names are Akio Akemi and Fumio Akemi." Nico inhales a small gasp but before Eli or Nozomi could ask Honoka continues. "They had no prior history and this was their first offense."

Nico sighs. "I see. How long will they do time?"

"About three years each."

Nico stands up and walks over to the window. "...Can you cut some of that time?"

"Eh?" Even Eli and Nozomi stare at Nico. "But why?"

Nico pauses again, playing with the curtains. After a while, she turns back to Eli and Nozomi. "Back then my family was very poor. We had to live in an apartment and my parents had to take many jobs to stay afloat. But I didn't let that stop my dreams of becoming an idol. I would go to auditions and meet other girls who wanted the same thing."

"It was there I met their older sister, Madoka Akemi. She was kind, honest, and doesn't act like a fake. Her situation at was almost like mine. In our last audition together, one of us would be chosen and sponsored by the big production company. But there was a high entry cost and the loser can't be a pro idol." Nico shrugs, "And here I am."

All three of them are silent when Honoka asks, "Are you doing this for her?"

"Yeah. I would be devastated if any of my family went to jail for a long time."

"...Alright. I'll see what I can do. And thank you for telling us."

"Sure. Talk to you later."

"'Til next time." _Click_

Eli takes the phone and pockets it while she and Nozomi stood up. Nico walks and stops in front of the guards. "I wanted to say thank you for last night."

Nozomi smiled, "Your safety is our highest priority."

"Still," Nico hugs both of them, "Thank you."

They both hug back and Eli whispers, "It's no problem."

They separate and Nico walks to the kitchen. "Want to eat lunch?"

"Sure." They followed after her.

. . . . . . . .

_Police Station_

Two people are sitting in front of a table; Akio has a black eye while Fumio has a cast over his broken right hand.

The door opens and Honoka walks in with a folder. "The both of you will go to jail for a year and a half."

Akio raised his eyebrow, "But the officer said we would be looking at three years."

"My client wanted the two of you to have less time."

Fumio tries to cross his arms over his chest. "That bitch is probably saving face." He winces as his left hand brush the cast, "And fuck that blonde."

Honoka snaps the file shut and stalks toward Fumio. She glares at him as she towers him. "Be grateful that my client is merciful after what you two have done." She hisses and leans down on him. "She is giving you a chance so I suggest you to get your shit together."

Fumio shifts in his seat and averts his eyes. Before it got any tenser the door opens and a women come in slightly disheveled; she is wearing a waitress uniform and some of her brown hair is sticking out.

The men faced the woman at the door. "Big sis!"

Honoka steps back as Madoka rushes toward her brothers and looks over their injuries. "Oh my god! Are you two okay?!"

Honoka coughs into her hand, catching Madoka's attention. "Ah Miss Akemi. Thank you for coming."

Madoka bowed slightly, "Miss Kousaka. Can you tell me what's going on?"

"These two tried to attack Miss Yazawa at her concert. They failed and will be serving one year in jail."

Madoka rounded on them, "Why!?"

"It should be you at the concert!" Fumio snaps. "It was your dream wasn't it!? Not her—"

Honoka is curious at his pause and looks at Madoka's face; there is so much disappointment shown in her eyes. Fumio looks away in shame.

"My dream was to be an idol and there are times I wish to be one. But that is in the past and I hold no grudge for Nico." She turns to Honoka and bowed, "Thank you."

Honoka shrugs, "You should thank Nico. She wanted to give them a lighter sentence."

"Oh. Can you pass my gratitude to Nico?"

"Why not do it yourself?"

"Ah... I think I shouldn't face her right now."

"She doesn't blame you for this."

"It's just..." Madoka averts her eyes.

"Alright I won't push. Well, I'll leave you three alone." Honoka walks out of the room as the siblings talk to each other; it was more of Madoka scolding the brothers. Once the door closes, she nods at the officer standing nearby and makes her way out of the station.

Her phone buzzes and she sees that it's Umi's message: [ Mission completed. ]

Honoka typed back, [ Good job. I'll get your debrief as soon as you come back and I'll give you an update on Nico's situation. ]

[ Got it. ]

Honoka shivers a little bit when the front door opens. She pockets the phone and rubs her hands to stave off the upcoming cold as she walks to her car.

* * *

* * *

**.**

**Fin for now. **

**Notes: **

**-The house is modeled after one of my friends since it's easy to reference.**

**-Urgh I still need improvement on how to describe places.**

**\- Can the victims drop or lessen the charges or nah?**

**There will be one more chapter before I go into hermit mode for November; I hope I don't accidentally write a story in my term paper.**

**Thanks for reading**

**Constructive criticisms are appreciated**

**Bravo Tango out.**


	5. Gratitude

**Another for RST. **

"Blah" — Speech

_'Blah' _— Thoughts

[ Blah ] — Text

*_Blah_* — Sound effects in speech

(_Blah_) — Author's notes

**Disclaimer: I do not own any characters of Love Live! School Idol Project. This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author's imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.**

* * *

* * *

_Chocolatey Gratitude_

A peaceful day as Nico and company enjoy their break at the house. Nico and Nozomi are watching the TV while Eli is taking a quick shower. On the screen there is a baker showing how to back a cake.

"That would be nice to have on Eli's birthday." Nozomi murmured.

"Yeah—" Nico snaps her head to Nozomi. "Wait what?"

"Oops," Nozomi puts her fingers over her mouth.

Nico paused at this new information. _'I could do something for her.'_ "...When is her birthday?"

Nico saw something gleams in the guard's eye but she ignores it for the date. Nozomi shrugs her shoulders, "If you insist. Her birthday is on the 21st."

Nico stands up and walks over to a calendar hanging on a wall. Her eyes widened and she looks back at Nozomi. "Holy crap! That's in a week. Does she celebrate?"

"Eli isn't much for celebrations. We have to remind her and even then she would just drink with a few of us."

"What about her family?"

"...All of her family lives in Russia."

_'Not on my watch.'_ Nico walks back to the couch. "I'm going to need your help in throwing a party for her."

Nozomi smiles, "Of course."

They went silent as the water stops and they hear the door opens. After a while they see Eli walking downstairs with a simple shirt and shorts. Eli notices Nico and Nozomi starting at her, "What's up?"

"Nothing much." They return their attention back to the TV.

. . . . . . . . . . . .

_A week later..._

"Alright time for get some food. Let's go to the grocery store." Nico grabs a jacket.

"What's the special occasion?" Nozomi 'asked.'

"I just want to eat some meat." Nico makes her way to the garage.

At the mere mention of meat, Nozomi jumps up and follows Nico. But before she leaves the living room, she faces Eli. "Can you get the keys?"

With the both of them alone in the garage, Nico leans in to whisper to Nozomi. "Is everyone good?"

"Yes. What about the house key?"

"I left it behind the plant."

"Alright."

They separated in time as Eli just came of the door and hands the keys to Nozomi. "Let's go."

. . . . . . . . . . . .

_Store_

At the front door Nico went into action. "Nozomi go get the package." She looks at Eli. "We're going to get the meat."

Nozomi did a two-finger salute. "You got it Nicocchi." And off she went.

Nico grabbed a cart with Eli following beside her. "What's this package?"

Nico waves her hand as they make over to the meat section. "Just some food I ordered online. I figured it would be faster if we split up." They have arrived in front of the meat aisle. "Hmmm." Nico looks through the assortments of meats. She picks up a styrofoam-plate of Korean barbecue short ribs. "These seem good."

"An excellent choice." They both turn to see Nozomi staring at the meat. "But we should get more."

. . . . . . . . . . . .

_Home_

With the garage door open they drove in and parked inside. Nozomi is the first one out and went for the package. "I'll just get these inside."

Eli raises her eyebrow at Nozomi but Nico calls out to her. "Eli can you help me with the meat?"

Eli walks to the trunk and looks at the stacks of meat. "Why did you buy so many?"

Nico chuckles, "I just thought to go all out." She looks at the plates. "Hmmm. Do you think you can carry all of it at once?"

"...I can try."

Nico piles the plates into empty cardboard boxes and places them on Eli's hands. The problem is that the boxes reach over Eli's head. "Nico, I can't see."

"Don't worry, I can guide you inside." Nico was about to place her hands on the boxes when she saw Eli's hands. Nico swallows air and she places her hands on Eli's hands. "L-Let's go."

Nico guides Eli as they slowly made their way inside. _'Her hands are really soft.'_ She is so lucky that the box blocks Eli's view otherwise the guard would see her blush. They make their way up the mini-stairs and are near the kitchen. "Alright, I'll take a box."

When she takes a box off, streamers flew at Eli. "HAPPY BIRTHDAY!"

Eli flinches and almost drops the box. She looks around to see everyone at the company here. "What the..."

Nico gives the box to Umi and gives Eli's box to Rin. "Happy Birthday Eli."

Eli shifts under their gaze. "I- You didn't have to do this for me."

Nico smiles, "But I wanted to. C'mon, let's go outside." Everyone inside made their way to the backyard where Nozomi is setting up the grill. There is a table where there are food and snacks. Under the warm sun and cool breeze they enjoyed the party as they wait for the barbecue to finish.

It was until the sun was going down that Nozomi brought out the package that was a chocolate cake. "We saved the best for last." Eli's eyes try to absorb all the glory that is called chocolate. Nozomi hands her a kitchen knife, "You get the honors."

Eli takes the knife and everyone has gathered around the cake. Nico took place the farthest from the birthday girl and she would take glances at the cake and Eli's hand. She finally looks up at Eli and smiles, "C'mon I don't want to wait for tomorrow to eat the cake."

Eli begins cutting the cake. "No need to rush." Nozomi puts the slices on the plates and give them to the group.

After Eli was done, Nico sneaks behind Eli, "You think you're sneaky huh?"

"Whatever do you mean?"

"Your slice is bigger than ours." Eli didn't answer and continues to eat her chocolate cake. Nico giggles, "Should I pay you in chocolates?"

"That wouldn't be so bad." Eli murmured.

Nico threw her head back and laughed. "HAHAHA! That's rich."

"Not as rich as that cake." Nozomi interjected

Eli blushes but ignores them in favor of enjoying the cake and the company present. After finishing her slice, she faces Nico and Nozomi, "Thank you for doing this."

They both smile back at Eli. "It's no problem Elichi."

Nico coughed into her hand, "From now on, I'm not letting anyone's birthday pass by me."

Eli chuckles, "Fine by me."

* * *

* * *

**.**

**And Fin.**

**Happy Birthday Eli so bathe in chocolate! **

**Now with this posted, I will go on hiatus for this story until I finish my term paper. **

**Be on the lookout for my final story for October.**

**Thanks for reading**

**Constructive criticisms are appreciated**

**Bravo Tango out.**


	6. Prepare

**Hello to new and continuing readers.**

"Blah" — Speech

"Blah" — Speech in another language

_'Blah' _— Thoughts

[ Blah ] — Text

*_Blah_* — Sound effects in speech

(**_Blah_**) — Author's notes

**Disclaimer: I do not own any characters of Love Live! School Idol Project. This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author's imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.**

* * *

* * *

_Prepare for the Other Side_

Nico and her team are at her house getting ready to leave; it's been a few days after the party and Nico is ready to get back into it. Nico looks at her guard's wardrobe, "Well, at least you girls don't look too obvious." Eli and Umi are wearing pants, Rin is wearing shorts, and Nozomi is the only one wearing a dress. But Nico isn't deceived and knows that Nozomi can take care of herself.

Nozomi smiles, "Thank you."

Umi fiddles the baton strap inside her jacket, "This still feels too unnatural for the job."

"Nico's job is to be in public. Our regular gear would make us too obvious." Nozomi elaborated.

"Blending in... So long as it works." Umi finished adjusting the strap.

Rin jumps in, "It'll just be like a group of friends hanging out together."

Nico narrows her eyes, "Oi, you saying I'm lonely?"

Rin frantically waves her hands, "No-I-that's—"

Nico grins and playfully punches Rin's shoulder, "I'm just playing with you."

Rin pouts, "You scared me there nya~."

"Nya?"

Umi sighs, "It's a habit I'm trying to get rid of."

"Ehehe." Rin scratches the back of her head.

Eli claps her hand, "Right. We're going to be late so let's go."

"Oh right." Nico and the team make their way to the car in the garage.

. . . . . . . . . .

The ladies walk in the manager's office to see Ryu looking on his computer. Nico raises her hand in greeting, "Yo Ryu."

The manager looks up, "Hey Nico." He then looks at Eli and Nozomi. "I want to say thank you for saving Nico at the concert."

Eli answers for both of them, "It's no problem."

Ryu looks at Umi and Rin and puts his hand out, "Hello, I'm Ryu Endo."

Umi shakes first, "I'm Umi Sonoda."

"I'm Rin Hoshizora."

Nico peeks at the computer, "So what are you looking at?"

"Ah. You must see this." Ryu ushers Nico closer and turns his monitor around. He clicks on it with a short wait-time before the video begins. The video shows Nico in a different costume and location. Nico looks at Ryu, "It's one of my earlier concerts."

"Look at the bottom of the screen."

They look down to see English lyrics.

"Someone is translating and posting these online." Ryu clicks on the channel, "This person has been posting all of your earlier concerts."

Nico sees the views, "Holy crap! This video has almost two million views."

"That's not all." Ryu scrolls down to the comments.

Nico squints and tries to decipher the comments. She almost gives up when she feels someone leaning on the side. She turns to the side to see Eli so close to her face and immediately goes back to the video. "Here let me translate them for you."

**TheChadster:** Best gurl. 452 likes

**Kazuma_desu:** Glad this got translated. 326 likes

**Animewasamistake:** I would totally pay to see her live. 2315 likes

Ryu turns back the monitor. "This is what I want to talk to you about. Do you want to do a concert at United States?"

Nico raises her eyebrow, "Overseas? But shouldn't we focus here?

"That may be true, but..." Ryu spreads his arms out. "So is every other idols here. Look, you're getting popular but this is a great opportunity. None of the idols here want to go out of their comfort zone and you'll have no competition."

Nico looks at her guards where Nozomi seems to know what she is thinking, "We have done overseas jobs before so this is nothing new."

Nico looks back, "Can you give me some time to think about it?"

"Of course."

"Any concerts coming up?"

"Well..." Ryu looks on some paper in front of him, "You got one for Christmas."

"Alright."

Nozomi puts her hand forward. "May we have her schedule?"

"Here." Ryu offers a piece of paper.

"Thank you." Nozomi takes the paper and the group walks out of the room.

Before they leave, Nico turns back, "Oh hey, what's the channel's name?"

"Uh..." Ryu looks at his monitor, "It's **Kayo_RiceFTW**."

Nico hears a small gasp and turns around to see Rin starting at the corner of the door. "Oookay." she looks back to Ryu. "Any way to contact them?"

"From the looks of it, no."

"Alright. See you later." Nico waves her hand.

"See you later."

. . . . . . . . . .

The whole party are seated and on their way to the dance studio. This time Nozomi is driving and Umi is at the passenger seat. Eli, Nico, and Rin are at the back. Nico turns her head to Rin, "Do you know about that channel Rin?"

Rin jerked in her seat. "W-What do you mean?"

"You were being weird when Ryu mentioned that channel name."

Rin avoids eye contact and stays silent. But she starts to fidget as the silence in the car stretches on. The other guards are looking elsewhere but seem to be listening in.

Nico sighs and turns her torso so she gives Rin her full attention. "Rin, as your boss, I promise nothing will happen to this person. I just need to know who it is."

Several seconds pass by before Rin caves in, "It's Hanayo."

Umi reacts to that, "What?"

Nico leans back, "I suspect it so."

"How...?" Rin was curious.

Nico holds her hand up with one finger out. "She's a huge fan of mine."

Two fingers, "She spends a lot of time on the computer."

Three fingers, "You called Hanayo 'Kayo-chin' in our first meeting and that can't be a coincidence."

"Derr`mo." Eli mutters.

Nico turns to Eli, "What?"

"I just realized I was the one who translated the songs." Eli sees Nico's raised eyebrow and continues, "Some months back Hanayo asked me to translate some words since I speak English the best among the company."

"Oh you speak different languages?" Nico interrupted.

"Yes. English and Russian are my specialty. May I continue?"

Nico became sheepish. "Right. Sorry."

Eli smiles, "It's quite alright. Anyway, some months back Hanayo asks for my help on translating some songs. At the time, I didn't think much of it and I saw it as a chance to improve my Japanese. I recognized the background and song when your manager showed us the video."

"You could say it was fate that brought us together." Nozomi chimed in.

Nico smirks at Nozomi, "Pshh, it's because my charm brought you guys to me."

Rin tilts her head, "But weren't you—"

"Anyway." Nico looks back to Eli, "Eli can you call Hanayo?" Eli takes her phone out and dials the number.

This sets Rin into a slight panic, "Wait, you said you weren't mad."

Nico raises both her eyebrow at Rin, "I'm not?" Nico sees Umi's disapproval at Rin and raises her hand to placate her. Nico looks back at Rin and smiles, "I just want to talk to her."

That seems to mollify Rin, "Okay."

"Hello?" It seems that Eli put the phone on speaker.

Nico feels dramatic for this moment and smiles. "Oh hey Hanayo... or should I say Kayo_RiceFTW?"

"...Eep..."

Rin was about to protest again but Nico put a finger on the rookie-guard's lips, "Hush."

Hanayo went into a panic, "I'm sorry Nico I had no intention of making money off of your videos I just wanted your foreign fans to watch—"

"Hanayo stop. Breathe." Hanayo takes a deep breath. "Thank you for your work on those video."

That seems to catch everyone off, "Eh?"

"What? Would you rather deal with a total stranger? Hanayo, you seem like a good person and you wouldn't make money off of this."

"I would never do something like that." Hanayo proclaims.

"See?" Nico looks at the people around her, "It's an extra plus that she's working for me now." The idol claps her hands, "So. Do you mind having extra work?"

"Not at all."

"Would you like to manage my official channel?"

"But you don't have one..." It finally clicks for Hanayo, "You don't mean—! Yes! Of course I will!"

Nico nods, "Oh yeah."

Rin asks for the team, "Wait, what's going on?"

Nico smiles, "It's unfair that my fans from the other side can't enjoy me. So I think it's time to give them the service they deserve." Nico looks at each of them in turn. "With your help of course."

Rin bounces in her seat, "I'm in!"

Nozomi voices her approval, "I'll be glad to help."

Eli smiles, "Might as well keep on translating."

"Are you sure about this?" Umi asks. "There's a reason why no one has done something like this before."

"Sometimes you have to make sacrifices." _'Lord knows how I much I lost.'_

Umi was silent for a while, "...So long as it doesn't hinder us protecting you Miss Yazawa."

Nico threw her head into the seat behind her. "Urrrgh, Nico is fine."

"That is highly unprofessional."

"One of these days you will use my name."

"Don't you think this might be a lot to handle with your upcoming event?" Umi asks instead.

"Oh for sure. I'm just thinking out loud here. We can plan after the Christmas concert and this gives me time to practice my English."

"How good is it by the way?" Eli asks.

Nico coughs into her hand. "Herro my name is Yazawa Niko."

"That's decent, but you say your given name first and family name last."

Before Nico could say anything, the car slows to a stop and Nozomi turns her head back, "We're here Nico."

Nico sighs, "We can work on my English later and the rest of the world can wait. I gotta get ready for Christmas."

* * *

* * *

**.**

**Fin for now.**

**I'M BACK BABY! Thank you for being patient with me.**

**Now for some notes:**

**-That is a long-ass car ride.**

**-I hope it is believable that an idol from Japan would spread to other countries.**

**\- Derr`mo means shit in Russian; I wanted Eli to say 'Oh shit.'**

**-That's some big words there Nico.**

**See you on the next chapter.**

**Thanks for reading**

**Constructive criticisms are appreciated**

**Bravo Tango out**


	7. Prepare II

**Let's get right into this.**

"Blah" — Speech

"Blah" — Speech in another language

_'Blah' _— Thoughts

[ Blah ] — Text

*_Blah_* — Sound effects in speech

(**_Blah_**) — Author's notes

**Disclaimer: I do not own any characters of Love Live! School Idol Project. This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author's imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.**

* * *

* * *

_Prepare for the Other Side part III_

_Beep Beep Beep Click_

The hand slowly drifts away from the phone. "Urrgh." Nico throws off her blanket and slowly rose from her bed. She stretched her hands over her head and yawned. Then she slowly went to the bathroom to do her daily routine. With that done, she leaves her room and makes her way down to the kitchen.

Once there, she pours coffee powder into the machine and turns it on. As she is waiting, she eats a banana and drinks some orange juice. She finished her banana when she hears someone coming down the stairs. The idol turns her head to see Maki standing at the kitchen doorway in her doctor's uniform.

_'Let's try it out.'_ Nico smiles, "Good morning."

Maki raises her eyebrow at that, but went along with it. "Morning."

"Would yu like som coffee?"

"Yes. Thank you."

Nico picks up a banana and offers the fruit to Maki. "Here."

Maki sighs, but accepts the fruit. "Thanks. Why are speaking English early in the morning?"

Nico shrugs. "Nozomi told me to use English on every chance I get. Makes it easier to learn."

Maki peels the fruit and takes a bite. "Hmm."

_Ding _

Nico moves to the coffee machine and pours the hot beverage into a cup. "Need anything for your coffee?"

Maki shakes her head, "No."

Nico gives the cup to the doctor. "Here."

She accepts the cup "Thank you." The doctor takes a sip. "Ahhhhh."

Nico leans on the refrigerator and gives Maki a few moments to enjoy her drink. "Thanks for helping Hanayo with the translation."

"I wasn't doing it for you."

Nico shrugs. "Regardless. Thanks."

Maki looks at the clock and gulps down her coffee. "I got to go." She places the mug on the table and quickly made to the front door.

Nico follows Maki and waits at the door as the doctor puts on her shoes. "You're always welcome to come again. I think Hanayo and Rin would like it."

Maki pauses, but opens the front door. "I'll take it into consideration." She makes her way to her car.

Nico waves at Maki, "I'll see you tonight."

Maki misses a step but she recovers and speeds up her walking.

Nico chuckles at the scene and closes the door. She walks back but sees Nozomi and Eli walking down the stairs. "Good morning to you two."

"Morning Nico." / "Good morning Nicocchi."

Nico comes into the kitchen area with the two of them behind her. "Coffee is ready."

"Thank you."

Nico takes out ingredients from her refrigerator and places them at the kitchen countertop. The guards got their steaming mugs and sat down the table. "What are you making Nicocchi?"

Nico washes her hands and the ingredients. "I was thinking of cooking breakfast as a thank you for yesterday."

Eli smiles, "That sounds great." Nozomi taps her shoulders and points at a piece of paper. They then discussed the plans for today.

Nico instinctively reached for the knife but hesitated; she can feel her fingers trembling as they are near the handle. _'Come on! Not now.'_ The idol takes a deep breath and takes a quick peek to her left; Eli and Nozomi are in their conversation. She grabs the trembling wrist with her other hand. _'Stop. Shaking.'_ After a few tense seconds, her hands become still.

Nico sighs in relief and slowly takes the knife out. She places a tomato on the cutting board and raises the knife. Just as she was about to cut the fruit, her hand twitches and the blade cuts into her fingers. "Ah!" She drops the blade and grabs hold of her wounded digits. "Fuck! Shit."

Nozomi and Eli are already by her side with some first aid. Nozomi gently takes Nico's hands to the sink and turns the faucet on. Nico hisses as the water washes away the blood.

At the same time, Eli had taken the knife and places it at a far distance. Once done, Eli prepares gauze with some saline. Nozomi turns off the sink while Eli comes to Nico's side and wraps the soaked gauze on the cut. Nico hisses again as her blood lightly stain the gauze. "Are you alright?"

Seeing their concerned gaze, Nico snapped and tore her arm away from them. She stomps to the living room and paces around. "This is fucking stupid." She squeezes the gauze in her cut. "Why does this always happen?"

"Nicocchi..."

Nico turns to see her guards with that gaze again. "Stop. This is- this is some dumb thing. It'll pass."

"Nicocchi, please talk to us. You can't bottle this—"

"Okay. We can pretend this never happens." Eli walks and sits on the couch. "You're our boss, but I care for you deeply. So whenever you're ready, talk to us."

Both Nico and Nozomi stared at Eli in shock, although for different reasons. Nozomi sat on the other side of the couch and smiled. "I know I have been... nosy lately. But I never wanted to make you uncomfortable. Whatever you want, we will do as you say."

Nico looks up and stares at the ceiling for some time. She then sighs and looks back at them. "How can I say no to that?" She walks over and sits on the middle of the couch. She plays with the gauze for a while before she speaks, "...I guess it started after that... event. Every time I see a knife I just..."

Nico clenches her eyes at those memories, but she opens them when she feels Eli's hand on her shoulder and Nozomi's hands on her knee. "Thank you. Every time I see a knife I just remember that night. I hate it. I hate that I shake or lose focus because of a knife."

"You're doing great by talking to us Nicocchi." Nozomi counsels Nico. "You're a strong person and I know you can overcome this. You can take this step-by-step."

Eli rubs the idol's shoulder, "If this happens again, please talk to us. It's no good to hold it in because it'll build up and explode." Eli looks away before looking back at Nico. "You might make a choice on impulse."

Nico's shoulders finally relax. "Thank you. This really helped."

Nozomi smiles, "It's no problem Nicocchi."

Nico perks up at the last part "I've got it." The guards look at Nico as the idol has a finger pointed at Nozomi. "Your nickname is going to be Nozi. Get it?" She raises one palm up, "Nosy." She raises the other palm up, "Nozomi." She then palms her hands together. "Nozi."

Eli suddenly guffawed at the name, causing Nozomi to pout and whine. "Elichi."

Eli tries to stile her laughter, "I'm sorry. It just fits so perfectly."

_*Ahem*_ Nico stands up from the couch. "While it's nice to bask in my genius, can you girls help me with breakfast? Rin and Hanayo are going to wake up soon." Nico walks back to the kitchen.

They both grinned at each other and followed after Nico.

. . . . . . . . . . . . .

_Muse Company_

Nico knock on Kotori door, waiting for an answer. "Come in." Nico opens the door and sees Kotori working on her workbench. The designer finally looks up from her work. "Nico? What brings you here?" Kotori stands up to greet her.

Nico walks close and gives her a quick hug. "Eli and Nozomi are getting their stuff so we have some time to kill." Nico opens her bag with her gloved hands and brings out a sketchbook, "Also some advice?"

"Of course." They walk to an empty table and open the book to look at the sketches. "Oh wow, some these look really nice. Did you draw them?"

Nico nods in pride, "Uh-huh."

Kotori tilts her head, "Don't you have someone to make the costumes for you?"

"Nah, I make most of my costumes so I only hired designers when I need it."

"Ahhhh." They go back to the book and discussed the designs.

After talking about the changes on the designs, Nico looks at Kotori, "Thanks for the help."

"It's no problem."

Nico puts the book back in the bag and looks around the room. "So what made you go for this job? You could make a lot of money if you went for clients."

Kotori plays with one of the armored suits, "I was about to, but Honoka convinced me to do this." Kotori then traces one of the dresses, "But I still get commissions sometimes, so it's not all bad."

"So how long have you known Honoka?"

"Ever since we were kids."

Nico widens her eyes at that, "Oh nice." _'Childhood friends huh.'_

There is a knock on the door. "Come in."

Rin comes through and waves at them. "There you are Nico. You practice is in a few hours."

"Thank you Rin." Nico stares at Rin's clothes for a while. "Say, what do you feel about dresses?"

"Eh?" Rin shrugs. "I guess they're okay."

"You guess? Okay?" Nico shakes her head and walks over to Rin. "Dresses are dazzling and cute." Nico smirks and looks back at Kotori, "Want to do a mini fashion show?"

Kotori stars at Nico for a while before she smiles, "I'm sure we can find something to fit you in Rin."

Rin waves her hands, "Eh? No, it's fine."

Nico tugs Rin over. "I insist."

Rin shudders as she sees their smiling faces.

_An hour later..._

Nico shows some pictures to Rin, "See?"

Rin stares at the camera of the various pictures of her posing in dresses. "Wow..."

"You're very cute Rin." Nico quickly pockets her phone and gives the camera to Kotori. "So—"

Umi opens the door, "Miss Yazawa."

Nico turns to Umi, "Ah? Umi? What's up?"

"We about to go soon."

"Alright, see you at the car."

Umi nods and her gaze stay on Kotori for a while before she leaves.

Nico turns to Kotori, "I'll call you for a commission soon." Nico and Rin walk over to the door.

Kotori waves at them. "Until next time."

. . . . . . . . . . . . .

_Several days later..._

The SUV rolls up to the front of the studio and the crew gets out. Nico just got out when Rin pointed something above her, "Hey Nico look."

Nico follows Rin's finger and thought she was pointing at the billboard with the sphere on it. But she smiled because Rin was actually pointing the one next to it; it is a picture of herself in a Christmas outfit on a billboard. "Awesome." After a few seconds of looking, Nico goes into the studio with her guards.

Once inside, Nico smiles at her dance instructor, "Yo Aya." She hesitates at Aya's frown and looks around, "Where's Ami and Maho?"

"I'm sorry Nico, but they can't make it."

"What? Why?"

"Their father is in the hospital and they want to stay with him over the month."

"That—" Nico blows a loud sigh; she can't fault them for that. But frustration still seeps into the idol. "Is there anyone else?"

Aya shakes her head, "They're either booked or with their family."

Nico crosses her arms, _'This is not good. There's only a few weeks left.'_

Aya then stares at Eli and Nozomi for a moment, "How about them?"

"Them?" Nico turns to her guards.

Aya walks up to them, "Do either of you have dancing experience?"

Nozomi smiles at the instructor, "I practiced dances as a shrine maiden when I was in high school."

Eli was hesitant to answer, "I used to do... ballet."

Aya smiles, "Could you two be Nico backup dancers?"

Nozomi grins, "That sounds like a good idea."

Eli slightly tensed up, "I don't think we should. Our job is to protect her."

Nico jumps in front of Eli and clasps her hands together. She looks up and begs, "Please. The both of you are my only hope."

_Ahem_

They all turn to Umi standing by the door, "While uncommon, the both of you are still doing your job. You two will be the closest to Nico on the stage. Rin and I can stand guard in the backstage. It all works out."

I... I..." Eli averts her eyes to not stare at the bright red orbs. Her shoulders drop and she looks back to Nico. "Okay."

"YAY!" Nico jumps and hugs both of them, catching them by surprise.

"Alright." Aya claps her hands to get their attention. "It's good we got two new dancers, but we need to get them up to speed." Aya motions the trio to follow her. "Let's get started."

. . . . . . . . . . . . .

_Home_

As suspected, Nico has everyone from the last time in her house; Hanayo, Rin, and Maki are upstairs translating while Nico is reciting her songs in the area next to the kitchen. "...And done." Nico got up and stretched, "That'll be it for today."

She turns to Nozomi and Eli sitting on the couch watching the news. "Yo."

Nozomi turns off the TV and looks behind them. "Hey Nicocchi."

Eli nods at her, "Hey Nico."

Nico sits on the lone couch. "Thank you for doing this for me."

Nozomi shakes her head, "It's not much."

Nico raises her eyebrow, "Are you kidding? The both of you got the routine down fast."

"We watched your dance practice so we knew your routine."

Nico snaps her fingers. "Oh yeah, you girls said you had experience before." Nico then tilts her head, "But what was the change to this?" Nico sees them hesitate and the mood turned somber. "Shit. Sorry forget I ask—"

Eli raises her hand, "It's alright. I actually want to tell you. It's just..."

Nozomi places her hand on the blonde's shoulder. "I can go first."

Eli shakes her head, "It's okay." Eli takes a breath and exhales. "My parents put me in ballet class when I was around 5. It was there that I really like to dance. So my parents took me to advance class and competitions."

Eli takes another breath before continuing, "It was until I was 13 when things took a turn. Because I didn't win in a competition, my parents treated me differently and I didn't feel like dancing anymore." Eli scrunches her pants. "Even though they don't say it, I could feel the disappointment from them."

Eli realizes what she is doing to her pants and puts her hands together. "I waited until I graduated high school before I joined the military." Eli dryly chuckles, "Of course my parents wanted me to go to college. My uncle heard about my situation and showed everyone a compromise. There was a special program where it trains and teaches at the same time. It took some effort, but I got in."

Nico thin her lips, "Is that what you meant in the morning?"

Eli nods. "Yes. I excelled in the program but after a while I didn't want to stay. So I finished my contract and left to travel here. It was here that I got involved in an incident of Maki and I got hired by Honoka."

"Whoa..." They fall into a few moments of silence.

"I guess it's my turn." Nozomi shifts to get comfortable before beginning her tale, "During high school I live in an apartment while my parents were on an indefinite stay overseas."

_'Indefinite.'_ Nico's mind whirls, _'That would mean...'_

Nozomi continues, "My parents send me the 'bare minimum' of money so I had to take a part-time job at a local temple to pay for rent." Nozomi shrugs, "It wasn't until I graduated that my finances got a little... dicey. And so I joined the defense force to get paid." Nozomi chuckles, "It was there I actually met Umi and she offered me a job when my contract was over."

"Damn..." Nico shakes her head at this, "No offense Nozi, but your parents are real shitheads."

Nozomi shrugs again, "None taken."

"But there are some good things that happen." Nico walks in front of them. "You two get to meet the super awesome Number 1 Idol." The idol puffs out her chest out.

They stared at her for a few seconds before Nozomi breaks into a fit of giggles. A moment later, Eli chuckles after her fellow guard. Nico has a grin plastered on her face, _'At least they're laughing.' _

Nozomi wipes a stray tear, "You sure do make things interesting Nicocchi."

Nico points her thumb to her chest, "Keep following me and I'll keep you interested."

Eli smiles, "We'll be glad to."

* * *

* * *

**.**

**And Le Fin.**

**Some notes:**

**\- I finally got the nickname.**

**And so the day comes closer and closer to the concert.**

**Anyway, see ya later.**

**Thanks for reading**

**Constructive criticisms are appreciated**

**Bravo Tango out.**


	8. Prepare III

**Let's get right into this.**

"Blah" — Speech

"Blah" — Speech in another language

_'Blah' _— Thoughts

[ Blah ] — Text

*_Blah_* — Sound effects in speech

(**_Blah_**) — Author's notes

**Disclaimer: I do not own any characters of Love Live! School Idol Project. This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author's imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.**

* * *

* * *

_Prepare for the Other Side part III_

_Beep Beep Beep Click_

The hand slowly drifts away from the phone. "Urrgh." Nico throws off her blanket and slowly rose from her bed. She stretched her hands over her head and yawned. Then she slowly went to the bathroom to do her daily routine. With that done, she leaves her room and makes her way down to the kitchen.

Once there, she pours coffee powder into the machine and turns it on. As she is waiting, she eats a banana and drinks some orange juice. She finished her banana when she hears someone coming down the stairs. The idol turns her head to see Maki standing at the kitchen doorway in her doctor's uniform.

_'Let's try it out.'_ Nico smiles, "Good morning."

Maki raises her eyebrow at that, but went along with it. "Morning."

"Would yu like som coffee?"

"Yes. Thank you."

Nico picks up a banana and offers the fruit to Maki. "Here."

Maki sighs, but accepts the fruit. "Thanks. Why are speaking English early in the morning?"

Nico shrugs. "Nozomi told me to use English on every chance I get. Makes it easier to learn."

Maki peels the fruit and takes a bite. "Hmm."

_Ding _

Nico moves to the coffee machine and pours the hot beverage into a cup. "Need anything for your coffee?"

Maki shakes her head, "No."

Nico gives the cup to the doctor. "Here."

She accepts the cup "Thank you." The doctor takes a sip. "Ahhhhh."

Nico leans on the refrigerator and gives Maki a few moments to enjoy her drink. "Thanks for helping Hanayo with the translation."

"I wasn't doing it for you."

Nico shrugs. "Regardless. Thanks."

Maki looks at the clock and gulps down her coffee. "I got to go." She places the mug on the table and quickly made to the front door.

Nico follows Maki and waits at the door as the doctor puts on her shoes. "You're always welcome to come again. I think Hanayo and Rin would like it."

Maki pauses, but opens the front door. "I'll take it into consideration." She makes her way to her car.

Nico waves at Maki, "I'll see you tonight."

Maki misses a step but she recovers and speeds up her walking.

Nico chuckles at the scene and closes the door. She walks back but sees Nozomi and Eli walking down the stairs. "Good morning to you two."

"Morning Nico." / "Good morning Nicocchi."

Nico comes into the kitchen area with the two of them behind her. "Coffee is ready."

"Thank you."

Nico takes out ingredients from her refrigerator and places them at the kitchen countertop. The guards got their steaming mugs and sat down the table. "What are you making Nicocchi?"

Nico washes her hands and the ingredients. "I was thinking of cooking breakfast as a thank you for yesterday."

Eli smiles, "That sounds great." Nozomi taps her shoulders and points at a piece of paper. They then discussed the plans for today.

Nico instinctively reached for the knife but hesitated; she can feel her fingers trembling as they are near the handle. _'Come on! Not now.'_ The idol takes a deep breath and takes a quick peek to her left; Eli and Nozomi are in their conversation. She grabs the trembling wrist with her other hand. _'Stop. Shaking.'_ After a few tense seconds, her hands become still.

Nico sighs in relief and slowly takes the knife out. She places a tomato on the cutting board and raises the knife. Just as she was about to cut the fruit, her hand twitches and the blade cuts into her fingers. "Ah!" She drops the blade and grabs hold of her wounded digits. "Fuck! Shit."

Nozomi and Eli are already by her side with some first aid. Nozomi gently takes Nico's hands to the sink and turns the faucet on. Nico hisses as the water washes away the blood.

At the same time, Eli had taken the knife and places it at a far distance. Once done, Eli prepares gauze with some saline. Nozomi turns off the sink while Eli comes to Nico's side and wraps the soaked gauze on the cut. Nico hisses again as her blood lightly stain the gauze. "Are you alright?"

Seeing their concerned gaze, Nico snapped and tore her arm away from them. She stomps to the living room and paces around. "This is fucking stupid." She squeezes the gauze in her cut. "Why does this always happen?"

"Nicocchi..."

Nico turns to see her guards with that gaze again. "Stop. This is- this is some dumb thing. It'll pass."

"Nicocchi, please talk to us. You can't bottle this—"

"Okay. We can pretend this never happens." Eli walks and sits on the couch. "You're our boss, but I care for you deeply. So whenever you're ready, talk to us."

Both Nico and Nozomi stared at Eli in shock, although for different reasons. Nozomi sat on the other side of the couch and smiled. "I know I have been... nosy lately. But I never wanted to make you uncomfortable. Whatever you want, we will do as you say."

Nico looks up and stares at the ceiling for some time. She then sighs and looks back at them. "How can I say no to that?" She walks over and sits on the middle of the couch. She plays with the gauze for a while before she speaks, "...I guess it started after that... event. Every time I see a knife I just..."

Nico clenches her eyes at those memories, but she opens them when she feels Eli's hand on her shoulder and Nozomi's hands on her knee. "Thank you. Every time I see a knife I just remember that night. I hate it. I hate that I shake or lose focus because of a knife."

"You're doing great by talking to us Nicocchi." Nozomi counsels Nico. "You're a strong person and I know you can overcome this. You can take this step-by-step."

Eli rubs the idol's shoulder, "If this happens again, please talk to us. It's no good to hold it in because it'll build up and explode." Eli looks away before looking back at Nico. "You might make a choice on impulse."

Nico's shoulders finally relax. "Thank you. This really helped."

Nozomi smiles, "It's no problem Nicocchi."

Nico perks up at the last part "I've got it." The guards look at Nico as the idol has a finger pointed at Nozomi. "Your nickname is going to be Nozi. Get it?" She raises one palm up, "Nosy." She raises the other palm up, "Nozomi." She then palms her hands together. "Nozi."

Eli suddenly guffawed at the name, causing Nozomi to pout and whine. "Elichi."

Eli tries to stile her laughter, "I'm sorry. It just fits so perfectly."

_*Ahem*_ Nico stands up from the couch. "While it's nice to bask in my genius, can you girls help me with breakfast? Rin and Hanayo are going to wake up soon." Nico walks back to the kitchen.

They both grinned at each other and followed after Nico.

. . . . . . . . . . . . .

_Muse Company_

Nico knock on Kotori door, waiting for an answer. "Come in." Nico opens the door and sees Kotori working on her workbench. The designer finally looks up from her work. "Nico? What brings you here?" Kotori stands up to greet her.

Nico walks close and gives her a quick hug. "Eli and Nozomi are getting their stuff so we have some time to kill." Nico opens her bag with her gloved hands and brings out a sketchbook, "Also some advice?"

"Of course." They walk to an empty table and open the book to look at the sketches. "Oh wow, some these look really nice. Did you draw them?"

Nico nods in pride, "Uh-huh."

Kotori tilts her head, "Don't you have someone to make the costumes for you?"

"Nah, I make most of my costumes so I only hired designers when I need it."

"Ahhhh." They go back to the book and discussed the designs.

After talking about the changes on the designs, Nico looks at Kotori, "Thanks for the help."

"It's no problem."

Nico puts the book back in the bag and looks around the room. "So what made you go for this job? You could make a lot of money if you went for clients."

Kotori plays with one of the armored suits, "I was about to, but Honoka convinced me to do this." Kotori then traces one of the dresses, "But I still get commissions sometimes, so it's not all bad."

"So how long have you known Honoka?"

"Ever since we were kids."

Nico widens her eyes at that, "Oh nice." _'Childhood friends huh.'_

There is a knock on the door. "Come in."

Rin comes through and waves at them. "There you are Nico. You practice is in a few hours."

"Thank you Rin." Nico stares at Rin's clothes for a while. "Say, what do you feel about dresses?"

"Eh?" Rin shrugs. "I guess they're okay."

"You guess? Okay?" Nico shakes her head and walks over to Rin. "Dresses are dazzling and cute." Nico smirks and looks back at Kotori, "Want to do a mini fashion show?"

Kotori stars at Nico for a while before she smiles, "I'm sure we can find something to fit you in Rin."

Rin waves her hands, "Eh? No, it's fine."

Nico tugs Rin over. "I insist."

Rin shudders as she sees their smiling faces.

_An hour later..._

Nico shows some pictures to Rin, "See?"

Rin stares at the camera of the various pictures of her posing in dresses. "Wow..."

"You're very cute Rin." Nico quickly pockets her phone and gives the camera to Kotori. "So—"

Umi opens the door, "Miss Yazawa."

Nico turns to Umi, "Ah? Umi? What's up?"

"We about to go soon."

"Alright, see you at the car."

Umi nods and her gaze stay on Kotori for a while before she leaves.

Nico turns to Kotori, "I'll call you for a commission soon." Nico and Rin walk over to the door.

Kotori waves at them. "Until next time."

. . . . . . . . . . . . .

_Several days later..._

The SUV rolls up to the front of the studio and the crew gets out. Nico just got out when Rin pointed something above her, "Hey Nico look."

Nico follows Rin's finger and thought she was pointing at the billboard with the sphere on it. But she smiled because Rin was actually pointing the one next to it; it is a picture of herself in a Christmas outfit on a billboard. "Awesome." After a few seconds of looking, Nico goes into the studio with her guards.

Once inside, Nico smiles at her dance instructor, "Yo Aya." She hesitates at Aya's frown and looks around, "Where's Ami and Maho?"

"I'm sorry Nico, but they can't make it."

"What? Why?"

"Their father is in the hospital and they want to stay with him over the month."

"That—" Nico blows a loud sigh; she can't fault them for that. But frustration still seeps into the idol. "Is there anyone else?"

Aya shakes her head, "They're either booked or with their family."

Nico crosses her arms, _'This is not good. There's only a few weeks left.'_

Aya then stares at Eli and Nozomi for a moment, "How about them?"

"Them?" Nico turns to her guards.

Aya walks up to them, "Do either of you have dancing experience?"

Nozomi smiles at the instructor, "I practiced dances as a shrine maiden when I was in high school."

Eli was hesitant to answer, "I used to do... ballet."

Aya smiles, "Could you two be Nico backup dancers?"

Nozomi grins, "That sounds like a good idea."

Eli slightly tensed up, "I don't think we should. Our job is to protect her."

Nico jumps in front of Eli and clasps her hands together. She looks up and begs, "Please. The both of you are my only hope."

_Ahem_

They all turn to Umi standing by the door, "While uncommon, the both of you are still doing your job. You two will be the closest to Nico on the stage. Rin and I can stand guard in the backstage. It all works out."

I... I..." Eli averts her eyes to not stare at the bright red orbs. Her shoulders drop and she looks back to Nico. "Okay."

"YAY!" Nico jumps and hugs both of them, catching them by surprise.

"Alright." Aya claps her hands to get their attention. "It's good we got two new dancers, but we need to get them up to speed." Aya motions the trio to follow her. "Let's get started."

. . . . . . . . . . . . .

_Home_

As suspected, Nico has everyone from the last time in her house; Hanayo, Rin, and Maki are upstairs translating while Nico is reciting her songs in the area next to the kitchen. "...And done." Nico got up and stretched, "That'll be it for today."

She turns to Nozomi and Eli sitting on the couch watching the news. "Yo."

Nozomi turns off the TV and looks behind them. "Hey Nicocchi."

Eli nods at her, "Hey Nico."

Nico sits on the lone couch. "Thank you for doing this for me."

Nozomi shakes her head, "It's not much."

Nico raises her eyebrow, "Are you kidding? The both of you got the routine down fast."

"We watched your dance practice so we knew your routine."

Nico snaps her fingers. "Oh yeah, you girls said you had experience before." Nico then tilts her head, "But what was the change to this?" Nico sees them hesitate and the mood turned somber. "Shit. Sorry forget I ask—"

Eli raises her hand, "It's alright. I actually want to tell you. It's just..."

Nozomi places her hand on the blonde's shoulder. "I can go first."

Eli shakes her head, "It's okay." Eli takes a breath and exhales. "My parents put me in ballet class when I was around 5. It was there that I really like to dance. So my parents took me to advance class and competitions."

Eli takes another breath before continuing, "It was until I was 13 when things took a turn. Because I didn't win in a competition, my parents treated me differently and I didn't feel like dancing anymore." Eli scrunches her pants. "Even though they don't say it, I could feel the disappointment from them."

Eli realizes what she is doing to her pants and puts her hands together. "I waited until I graduated high school before I joined the military." Eli dryly chuckles, "Of course my parents wanted me to go to college. My uncle heard about my situation and showed everyone a compromise. There was a special program where it trains and teaches at the same time. It took some effort, but I got in."

Nico thin her lips, "Is that what you meant in the morning?"

Eli nods. "Yes. I excelled in the program but after a while I didn't want to stay. So I finished my contract and left to travel here. It was here that I got involved in an incident of Maki and I got hired by Honoka."

"Whoa..." They fall into a few moments of silence.

"I guess it's my turn." Nozomi shifts to get comfortable before beginning her tale, "During high school I live in an apartment while my parents were on an indefinite stay overseas."

_'Indefinite.'_ Nico's mind whirls, _'That would mean...'_

Nozomi continues, "My parents send me the 'bare minimum' of money so I had to take a part-time job at a local temple to pay for rent." Nozomi shrugs, "It wasn't until I graduated that my finances got a little... dicey. And so I joined the defense force to get paid." Nozomi chuckles, "It was there I actually met Umi and she offered me a job when my contract was over."

"Damn..." Nico shakes her head at this, "No offense Nozi, but your parents are real shitheads."

Nozomi shrugs again, "None taken."

"But there are some good things that happen." Nico walks in front of them. "You two get to meet the super awesome Number 1 Idol." The idol puffs out her chest out.

They stared at her for a few seconds before Nozomi breaks into a fit of giggles. A moment later, Eli chuckles after her fellow guard. Nico has a grin plastered on her face, _'At least they're laughing.' _

Nozomi wipes a stray tear, "You sure do make things interesting Nicocchi."

Nico points her thumb to her chest, "Keep following me and I'll keep you interested."

Eli smiles, "We'll be glad to."

* * *

* * *

**.**

**And Le Fin.**

**Some notes:**

**\- I finally got the nickname.**

**And so the day comes closer and closer to the concert.**

**Anyway, see ya later.**

**Thanks for reading**

**Constructive criticisms are appreciated**

**Bravo Tango out.**


	9. Christmas

**Winter is here so have a cheer.**

"Blah" — Speech

"Blah" — Speech in another language

_'Blah' _— Thoughts

[ Blah ] — Text

*_Blah_* — Sound effects in speech

(**_Blah_**) — Author's notes

**Disclaimer: I do not own any characters of Love Live! School Idol Project. This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author's imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.**

* * *

* * *

_I want to share Christmas with You_

Through the window, Nico watches the snowflakes fall from the grey clouds in the sky. She looks down to see a sheet of snow covering the front lawn. Hearing footsteps behind her, Nico turns to see Nozomi, "How's the set-up?"

"We just finished."

Nico turns back to the window just in time to see a car pull up in her driveway. "Just in time." Nico and Nozomi walk out as Kotori got off the passenger seat. Nico raises her eyebrow as Umi gets out of the car. '_Are they together or...?'_

Nico gives a quick hug to Kotori and picks up one of the boxes in the car, "Thanks for doing a commission at my place."

"It's no problem." Kotori gives her a wink, "And clients get a discount."

Nico chuckles, "Well, I got the place set up for you." Nico sees Nozomi and Umi holding the sewing a large sewing machine. She leans in to whisper to Kotori. "So are you and Umi...?"

Kotori stare at Nico for a while before she realizes the question, "Oh." Kotori smile, "Yes we are."

They walk back to the house and Nico continues to whisper, "Is there anywhere to get Umi to... tone it down?"

"I could tell her—"

Nico shakes her head, "No no no." They entered the lower area where there are lights and large mirrors taped to the walls. "I want to do it myself otherwise it'll she goes back to her habit."

"Hmmm." Kotori taps her chin as Nico places the box of fabric on the ground. "Back in high school, she used to say 'shameless' in any indecent situations. She's not proud of her embarrassing past."

"Thanks for the advice." Nozomi and Umi just got through the door with the machine. Eli came down the stairs and helps them over to the lower area.

Kotori points to the corner of the room, "Right there is good."

Nico's phone rings and she walks to the living room to not distract them. She presses accept, "Hello?"

"Don't take all of my employees." It is Honoka on the phone.

"What?"

"No one is at the company and I'm all alone." she could Honoka whining.

"Rin, Hanayo, and Maki are upstairs translating anything related to the idol while the rest are busy setting up the equipment Kotori brought." Nico imagines Honoka pouting and grins, "You could come over if you want."

"Really? Can I bring someone with me?"

"Sure."

"Alright. See you in a bit." _Click_

Nico chuckles as she puts away her phone. She looks back at the set-up area to see Kotori measuring Eli's bare waist while Nozomi and Umi are in the kitchen looking over them. She then hears laughter on the second floor; she is pretty sure that the trio is already done with the translations already. _'It's so lively.'_ Nico shakes her head and walks over to Kotori to help and 'enjoy' the view.

_Later..._

_Knock Knock_

Nico looks up from her sketchbook, _'Must be Honoka.'_ She walks to the front to see Nozomi already there; the guard opens the door to show Honoka and a hazel-haired lady standing there. The first thing the idol notices is the lady's eyes are a shade of green. _'Nozomi's are prettier.'_ Nico slightly paused, _'The hell did that come from?'_

Nico composed herself and quickly walks down the mini-stairs to greet her guests. "Hey Honoka."

"Hey Nico. Hey Nozomi."

Nozomi waves her hand. "Hi."

She turns to the new person and sees their hands together. She holds out her hand, "I'm Nico Yazawa."

The new lady shakes her hands and smiles, "Tsubasa Kira." She then nods at Nozomi who returns the gesture.

Nico walks up the mini-stairs again, "Please come in." They follow in after her and Nozomi closes the door. "Want something to drink?"

Honoka shakes her head, "We won't be here for long. Me and Tsu are going shopping later."

"Ohh." They split off where Honoka goes down to the set up area to talk to Kotori who just finished her design on Eli. Nico turns to her guard, "Hey Nozi, you're up."

"Gotcha." Nozomi follows after Honoka down to the area.

Eli got up to the ground floor with her shirt and sweatpants, "Hey Nico—" She pauses as she spots Honoka's partner, yet she nods, "Tsubasa."

The brunette replies with a bemused look, "Eli."

Nico raises her eyebrows at the silence between them, but Tsubasa is the first to break off and walks into the kitchen. Nico waits as Eli walks up to her. "What was that about?"

Eli shakes her head, "Just some rivalry."

"Is she a bodyguard or something?"

"Kind of. She works for Sphera Corporations."

Nico widens her eyes comically, "Holy shit." She leans in and lowers her voice, "How the hell did Honoka snag someone from that company?"

Eli shrugs, "You would have to ask Honoka for the full story."

Before Nico could talk, Nozomi comes up to them, "You're up Nicocchi."

"Thanks." Nico walks down to the improvised design room while Eli and Nozomi walk to the kitchen. The idol stops in front of the mirror and spreads her arms. "Alright, bring the tape."

Kotori wraps the measuring tape around Nico as Honoka leans on her chair. "So how have the guards been to you?"

Nico briefly looks over to the kitchen and then looks back to the mirror. "They've been good."

Kotori smirks as she measures the shoulders, "They look good as well."

Honoka tilts her head as Nico blushes and stammers, "I-I have no idea what you talking about."

Kotori hums as she measures the arms, "I caught you looking Nico."

Honoka leans closer, getting caught up in the excitement, "You got the hots for someone? Who?"

Nico scowls at Honoka and her eyes flicker to the kitchen. But Honoka catches the gaze and turns to the kitchen. She gives a small gasp and turn back to Nico, "Is it Eli?"

Shake.

"Nozomi?"

Shake.

"Then who..."

Kotori giggles, "It's both of them isn't it?"

Nico's face is crimson.

Honoka widens her eyes and opens her mouth to squeal. But Nico quickly steps forward clamps on the ginger's face with her hand. She quickly looks over the open wall of the kitchen; the four ladies seem to have moved to the living room area.

Nico sighs in relief and lowers her hand from Honoka's mouth. She steps backs and crosses her arms, "Do you want to tell the world?"

Honoka scratches her cheek, "Eheheh. It's not that bad, right?"

Kotori looks up from her notes, "Honoka, idol can't have public relationships. If the public finds out, Nico might be fired."

"Wha—" Honoka clasp her mouth and looks back; the guards and Tsubasa did not hear them. She looks back and lowers her voice, "That's bullshit."

Nico sighs, "First, I signed a contract that I can't date anyone. And two, the fans would feel 'betrayed' if they find out I'm dating someone." She walks over to a box of fabric near a wall, playing with the material. "I was so focused on my dreams that I didn't see it getting in my way." Nico leans her other hand on the wall. "And besides, I wouldn't even know to do."

Honoka gapes, "But you're an idol."

Nico shrugs, "I really was focused on getting to where I'm now."

Kotori holds a piece of fabric in front of Nico, "You could date in secret."

"What?"

"You could date in secret." Kotori writes something in her notes, "Or wait until you retire."

"That's..." _'Huh.'_

"Another tip." Kotori places a hat on Nico's head, "Start small. Go out for lunch or buy something. There's no need to rush." She nods in satisfaction and takes the hat off. "I'm done." She takes the box of fabric and walks over to the sewing machine.

"Right," Honoka waves Nico over. "We shouldn't bother her when she's in sewing mode."

"Alright."

They walk up to the living room, alerting the ladies. Tsubasa smiles at Honoka, "Right on time, we should get going before the stores close."

Honoka slightly jumps, "Oh right. I gotta go." She turns to Nico, "Do you know where the others are?"

Nico points upstairs, "They're on the first door on the left."

Tsubasa walks to the front door to wait for Honoka. She turns around and smiles at Nico, "You'll be in safe hands at the concert Nico."

"Huh?"

But Honoka came down and gives everyone a farewell, "Good luck on the concert Nico." She winks at Nico, "And _good luck_." They walk to their car.

Nico sighs and waves back, "Have fun with shopping."

Nozomi looks at Nico, "What was that about?"

"Nothing much." Nico closes the door and walks back to Kotori to see if she can help. She pauses to look at Nozomi's and Eli's back. _'A gift huh.'_

. . . . . . . . . . .

_Friday_

** _(Shift to Eli's view.)_ **

_'This is it.'_ Eli fastens her baton holster and checks over her clothes in the living room.

"No point in fussing over it." Eli turns to see Nico standing at near the door. "You're going to change when we get there."

Eli shrugs, "Force of habit."

Nico waves her over and walks out the door. "Well come on."

Eli finishes her inspection and walks out of the door. Being the last one out of the house, it falls on her to lock it. Now she can walk to the car where Nozomi is at the front; Nico, Rin, and Umi are at the back. She gets in the passenger seat and buckles up.

"Good?" Nozomi asks.

Eli nods her head and they're off to the concert. As she looks out the window, she hears Nico whisper to Rin, "You doing anything for Christmas?"

"Huh?" Nothing much."

"You should get together with Maki and Hanayo."

"Are you sure? I don't know if Maki has time."

"Trust me, Maki will make time for you two. This is also a great time to get closer."

Eli hears the chair shift behind her, "How?"

"Now here's what you do..." Eli listens as she stares out the window.

_30 minutes later_

"Huh, so that's what Tsubasa meant." As the car comes close to their designated area, columns of Sphera guards stand in perfect formation to prevent the fans from getting too close.

Eli relaxes her shoulders a little bit as she watches the professional guards do their job.

"Nervous?"

Eli turns to Nozomi who glances at her leg; Eli was unconsciously rubbing her thigh. She stops her hands.

Nozomi grins, "No need to be nervous."

Eli raises her eyebrow incredulously at Nozomi; the violet-haired guard's left foot was bouncing up and down. But Nozomi still smiles at Eli. The blonde shakes her head and looks back at the cheering crowd.

"Nico!"

"Nico!"

"Nico!"

"Whoa..." Rin mutters.

"Oh yeah, it can get pretty big." Nico boasts.

The car drives up to the private parking lot where there are only guards around the perimeter. Nozomi turns off the car. "We're here~."

They get out, "Alright!" Nico pumps her hands. "Let's do this." Umi and Rin walks forward to hold the door for them. Eli and Nozomi take the lead with Nico behind them. Once they pass the door, Umi and Rin take the rear.

Eli looks around as they walk toward the costume room. _'A lot of guards. They probably don't want a repeat of last time.'_ Eli clenches her fist at that memory.

"Don't think about the crowd too much."

"Huh?" Eli looks to her side to see Nico between her and Nozomi. _'Focus.'_

"The crowd can be scary, but then you remember these people come here for you." Nico elaborated, "I remember my first time I stumbled around like an idiot." Nico thumps them on their backs. "So perk up and have fun out there. You'll be fine since you got me."

Eli chuckles at Nico's pep talk; the idol probably noticed Eli's hand and thought she was nervous. _'Best leave it at that.'_

They finally arrived at the costume room. Rin and Umi stand guard outside while the rest walks inside. On one side of the room there is a long horizontal mirror installed along the wall. There are also curtains which divided that area into three sections. Eli looks to the center to see Kotori and a few staff member waiting for them.

Nico finger salutes at them. "Yo."

Kotori smiles, "Hello Nico." She nods at the guards and then gestures to the sections. "Let's get you three suited up for your Christmas party."

The three separate and goes to their respective sections. One of the staff members followed after her and closed the curtains. She turns back and smiles at Eli, "Hello I'm Nachi and I'll be helping you to suit up."

Eli nods at the helper. "Thank you Nachi." After several minutes, they finished and Eli looks at the mirror to appraise her costume: Her hair is tied into a ponytail with a couple of Christmas gift-box ornaments. On her shoulders is a red-striped capelet with the edges lined with white fur; it is connected with a white and teal striped ribbon. Under the capelet is her Santa-themed dress where the top to bottom center of her dress is green stripes. She has a black buckle wrapped around her stomach and for the bottom half she wears a fur skirt that lengthens the dress. To finish the Santa look, Eli wears fur wrist cuffs and striped thigh-high stockings that have the same color scheme as her ribbon with fur boots.

Eli twists her waist side to side before she nods at Nachi, "Thanks again." She walks outside the curtains to see Nozomi was already finished. This allows her to make comparisons between her costume and Nozomi's costume: Her twin-tails are decorated with a Christmas bauble in each tail. Her ribbon's color scheme is purple and gold instead. For her dress the chest area is open to show her white frill dress-shirt. Her one-piece dress bottom edges are lined with frills similar to her dress shirt. Finally, Nozomi's stockings are purple with some designs at the top.

"You look really nice, Elichi." Nozomi smiles.

"Could say the same to you," Eli responds.

Before any of them could continue, Kotori opens the curtains. Eli looks over and her eyes widens and her jaw drops; somehow Nico always does that to her.

On her head is a Santa hat where the front is decorated with flowers, bells, and a dark-green ribbon; the ends of the ribbon connected with a cross and North Star medal. Her black hair is tied up in the usual twin-tails with white ribbons. The capelet is mostly red with gold borders and the edges are lined with white fur; it is connected with a flower and a gold-white striped ribbon. The upper part of her dress is a black corset with a striped red design on the center.

The lower part is a green skirt and the edges lined with gold frills. She has a golden bell and ribbon sash in front of her waist. On her back, there is a big white ribbon and a translucent veil trailing behind her. On the border of the veil, there is a silhouette of a town sewn into it. On her legs are mismatched thigh-high stockings: The left one is red and black stripes while the other one imitates a boot.

Nico twirls on her stylized flat heels, the veil trailing with the motion. She spreads her arms and gloved hands wide. "What do you think?"

_'Probably to conceal her scar.'_ "You look amazing Nico."

Nozomi puts her hand on her cheek, "I must say you look quite dashing."

Nico swells up her chest, "It's nothing for The Number 1 Idol." She then looks over at Eli and Nozomi's costume. "You two look amazing too."

Eli fiddles with the costume, "You really did an outstanding job."

Nico smiles, "I always do." She takes a glance at Kotori, "With a little help of course."

Kotori holds up a camera, "Shall we take one?"

Nico nods, "Great idea." She waves them over. "Come on." Eli takes the left side while Nozomi takes the right; they're pressed close together.

Kotori levels the camera to her eye, "3."

"2."

"1."

"Cheese." There was a click and the trio separates.

Nico claps her hands, "Now let's give my fans a big present."

Eli moves first to the entrance and wraps her hand around the knob. She opens the door to see Rin and Umi turning around from the noise. She sees Rin and even Umi staring at their costumes.

"Oh wow..." Rin mutters.

"Yes, bask in my glory." Nico strides forward as if she owns the place. The others quickly catch up to her.

They reach to the backstage of the stadium. _'It almost looks similar to the other one.'_ Eli scans around the area. One of the staff member walks toward them and gives them last-minute instructions.

Rin and Umi take positions at the wings; Rin goes to the left side while Umi stays on the right side. "Good luck out there."

Eli nods at the blunette, "Thanks." Eli walks back to the duo as the idol fastens a small microphone over her ear. She then turns to them and raises a thumb up. Eli and Nozomi responded in kind. Now they enter the darkened stage and Eli takes her position slightly behind and to the right of Nico. Nozomi takes the other side and Nico walks to the center stage.

Eli can hear the murmurs of the crowd as she steels her resolve.

Suddenly a light shines on Nico and the crowd goes wild. Nico goes into her signature pose, "Nico-Nico-Nii."

The crowd soon follows suit, "Nico-Nico-Nii."

Nico gives a little wave to the audience, "Thank you for taking your time to come here and see me." She walks back to her position, "Now let's get this show started so all of you can get your presents."

** _(Search up on YouTube: [MMD] Shake it! [HD] The video you're looking should be the second or third video and titled as:_ ** ** _【第_ ** ** _10_ ** ** _回_ ** ** _MMD_ ** ** _杯_ ** ** _Ex_ ** ** _】_ ** ** _| (Nico: Alice, Eli:Marisa, Nozomi:Reimu) Ignore the back-flips and break-dancing.)_ **

With the light still on her, Nico begins her solo:

_On a lonely, miserable night by myself,_  
_I look for words I want to disappear_  
_Come through the secret door_  
_Here we go, oh yeah, oh yeah_

_._

The light disappeared and the stage becomes illuminated with dazzling colors, eliciting a loud response from the audience. This is also the cue for Eli and Nozomi to join in.

_._

_If I open the door before my eyes_  
_That's right, it's the beginning of an endless night_  
_From the shadows on the balloon-shaped floor,_  
_The journey to four dimensions begins!_  
_Boarding the ark of a meteor,_  
_Now, we're advancing to space-time travel_  
_Since we can't rely on the weather forecast,_  
_Do what you want, all right_

_._

_Today is all night, funky funky funky night_  
_You and I are together, funky funky funky night_  
_Today is all night, funky funky funky night_  
_You and I, funky night!_  
_Like we're going up_

_._

Now Eli and Nozomi can sync up their moves with Nico.

_Dance, dance, from your eyes, shining gold meteors_  
_Come through the secret door_  
_Here we go, oh yeah, oh yeah,_  
_Yeah, yeah, yeah_

_._

_Shake, shake, since tonight won't stop,_  
_Now is, oh, in a dream_  
_The mirror ball turns and turns,_  
_Hurry up, oh yeah, oh yeah,_  
_Yeah, yeah, yeah_

_._

The lights dim where only Nico is visible to the audience. Eli takes a moment to try to calm her racing heart. _'How does Nico do this?'_ Even though she can't see the audience, it still makes her jittery to perform in front of them. Eli takes a look at Nozomi as they switch positions; she can only see her figure but can hear her breathing as they pass by. In her new position, she looks to Nico as the idol begins her solo:

_._

_Dance, dance, from your eyes..._  
_Shake, shake, tonight won't stop... (x9)_  
_Like we're going up_

_._

The stage lights up and the trio dances together again. Eli and Nozomi clap their hands prompting the audience to clap as well.

_._

_Dance, dance, from your eyes, shining gold meteors_  
_Come through the secret door_  
_Here we go, oh yeah,_

Nico points at Nozomi and she points back in return.

_oh yeah,_

Nico points at Eli and she points back in return

_Yeah, yeah, yeah_

_._

_Shake, shake, since tonight won't stop,_  
_Now is, oh, in a dream_  
_The mirror ball turns and turns_  
_Hurry up, oh yeah, oh yeah,_  
_Yeah, yeah, yeah_

_._

_On a lonely, miserable night by myself,_  
_I look for words I want to disappear_  
_Come through the secret door_  
_Here we go, oh yeah, oh yeah_  
_Yeah, yeah, yeah_

_._

_Shake, shake, since tonight won't stop,_  
_Now is, oh, in a dream_  
_The mirror ball turns and turns_  
_Hurry up, oh yeah, oh yeah,_  
_Yeah, yeah, yeah_  
_Oh yeah, oh yeah,_  
_yeah, yeah, yeah,_  
_Oh yeah, oh yeah,_  
_yeah, yeah, yeah_

_._

The song ends and the three of them pose as the crowd erupts in thunderous applause. Eli breathes harshly as she tries to get her breathing under control. Even though the dance is tiring, the cheers from the audience exhilarate Eli. _'I can see why Nico has so much energy.'_ In her peripheral, Eli sees Nozomi looking at her and points to her mouth. Eli reaches up to find out that she is smiling.

With newfound energy, Eli gets into position for the next dance. _'Let's do this!'_

_Two hours later..._

Eli's face is flushed and glistened with sweat, but she stands proud as the crowd roars.

"Whoo!" Nico pants as she paces around the stage. "It was truly amazing to do this for all of you." She stops in front of Nozomi and Eli, "Now before we officially end this, I would like to give a special thanks to these two."

Eli blinks as lights shine on them.

"If it wasn't for them, this whole thing wouldn't be possible. So let's give them a cheer."

Eli blushes as the crowd claps for them. She looks to side to see Nozomi blushing but she smiles and waves at the crowd. Eli nods and waves at the crowd.

After the cheer dies down, Nico addresses the crowd with her pose, "Thanks again for coming and have a Nico Christmas!"

. . . . . . . . . . .

_Christmas_

** _(Shift back to Nico)_ **

Nico sits on her bed and goes through her messages on her phone:

Rin: [ Thanks for the idea and Merry Christmas. ]

Nico types a response, [ No prob XD & Merry Xmas]

Nico sees a message from Ryu, [ Merry Christmas and congratulation on moving up in the leader board. ]

[ Nice and Merry Xmas to you too. ]

Nico places the phone down and reaches inside her drawer to pull out two small gift-boxes. Thanks to the measurements she got from Kotori Nico was able to order the gifts from online. But now she's getting some butterflies in her stomach as she paces around her room. 'Come on. I perform in front of thousands but I can't give a couple gifts.

Nico stops and takes a deep breath. _'You got this.'_ Nico places her hands behind her back and leaves the room. As she goes downstairs, she sees Eli and Nozomi setting up Christmas dinner.

Nozomi is the first one to notice her arrival, "Ah Nicocchi. I was wondering when you'll come down."

Nico rocks back and forth on her feet.

Eli stands in front of Nico, "What's wrong Nico?" Nozomi stands beside them.

'Fuck it.' Nico thrusts her hands out. "Here." Both of them jumped slightly at the sudden action, but calmed down when it was just small boxes; one of the boxes is yellow while the other one is purple. "I got these for you two."

They each took their respective boxes from Nico's hands. She holds her breath as they slowly unravel the box. Their eyes widen as they stare at the gift.

Nozomi is the first to recover and looks back at Nico, "Nicocchi..."

Eli looks up as well, "You didn't have to give us this Nico."

Nico steps forward, "But I wanted to." She starts to play with her fingers. "I wanted to say thank you for all you've done for me. Hell, you even saved me. It's also Christmas so..." Nico trails off, unsure on how to end it.

Nozomi comes to the rescue, "Thank you Nicocchi." She brings the gift out which is a bracket with a turquoise gemstone.

Eli lifts her bracelet out the box and marvels at the sapphire gem. "I will treasure it Nico."

Nico's face flushes at the declaration and so she walks to the table. "Yes, well, now that's done, let's eat."

"But what about yours? We didn't get anything for you."

"I already got them." Nico turns back and smiles, "It's you two."

* * *

* * *

**.**

**Fin.**

**Merry Christmas!**

**Phew! This piece is really intense with that dance scene.**

**If you're curious about the costumes: google _Christmas eli and nozomi_ and _Christmas nico._**

**I have done performances before and no matter how many times I performed, I still get the jitters to be in front of a crowd.**

**Well see ya next year.**

**Thanks for reading**

**Constructive criticisms are appreciated **

**Bravo Tango out.**


	10. Interlude

"Blah" — Speech

"Blah" — Speech in another language

_'Blah' _— Thoughts

[ Blah ] — Text

*_Blah_* — Sound effects in speech

(**_Blah_**) — Author's notes

**Disclaimer: I do not own any characters of Love Live! School Idol Project. This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author's imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.**

* * *

* * *

_Interlude_

The screen blips into life and starts recording.

"Nico-Nico-Nii!" It was Nico in her signature pose. It seems to be in the morning from the rising sun and the heavy clothes Nico is wearing.

Nico starts walking while the camera follows her movements. "Merry Christmas and Happy New Years to my fans on the other side of the sea. I have a little something for my fans. I now have an official channel where I have translated songs and videos. After I upload this video, I will make videos here and there."

"For my official website, I have it translated to make it easier for you guys and gals to buy my stuff." Nico briefly looks off-center before looking back to the camera. "This is a small step, but sometime in the future I will give more to you." Nico shrugs and smiles, "Maybe a concert over there or something."

Nico stops in front of tree, "Well that's that. I hope you have a fun year with your friends and families. And get ready for next year 'cause I'm going to be number 1." Nico raises one of her hand to form her hand-sign. "Nico-nii out."

_Click_


	11. Speak or Sing

**Hey I'm back.**

"Blah" — Speech

"Blah" — Speech in another language

_'Blah' _— Thoughts

[ Blah ] — Text

*_Blah_* — Sound effects in speech

(**_Blah_**) — Author's notes

**Disclaimer: I do not own any characters of Love Live! School Idol Project. This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author's imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.**

* * *

* * *

_Speak or Sing, same difference_

"...And so with these polls..."

_Bzzt_

Nico looks down and takes a step back to take out her phone; it was a text message from Hanayo. [ You should check your video. It's gone viral. ] Nico looks up and coughs into her hand, *Ahem* Everyone turns to her as she steps forward, "Hey Ryu can you looks up something for me?" She points at the computer and instructs Ryu to search up the video.

Ryu opens up the video Nico made a week ago and its views are over ten million views.

Nico eyes bug out, "Holy crap!" Last time she checked the video there was only a million views.

Nozomi grins at Nico, "Aren't you popular."

"Hmm." Ryu rubs his chin and scrolls down the page; there are top comments that are mixed with English and Japanese.

Cookiemuncher69: I'm throwing money at the screen but nothing is happening.

Nico-Knees: Yay for official translations.

ichigo: Nani? How come I never heard about this?

Ryu opens another tab and starts typing on the keyboard.

Nico scratches her head, "Where did all those view come from?"

Ryu answers Nico, "Apparently there is a somewhat famous blogger over at the US that wrote about you. I think one of his key points is you're one of the few celebrities trying to connect between countries." Ryu is still looking at the screen, "He left a link to your video and I assume people shared it, spreading it as far as possible."

Nico is still doubtful, "But still... that's a lot of views."

"Hmm." Ryu must have a different tab open, "It spread so far that the media here is catching onto it."

Umi sighs, "It seems that the people are latching on the 'country' part." Umi sees Nico's confusion and continues. "We have a... 'strained' relationship with that country."

Nico look at the blunette, "How come?"

This time Ryu elaborates, "The older generations are wary about them, especially when foreign tourists are getting more rowdy."

"I only care about my fans." Nico mutters to herself, "Now what?"

The room goes silent after her statement. After a few more moments of silence before Ryu speaks, "How about a media interview?"

Nico turns to her manager, "A what?"

"It's similar to an interview but the difference is that there will be a lot of journalists there."

"Do you think it would work out?"

"I believe so. You get to clear any misunderstandings, soothe your fans, and calm your sponsors."

Nico looks off to the side and stays quiet for a while. _'This is all happening too fast.'_ She closes her eyes. _'But it's all for my fans.'_ She glances over to her guards, _'And I got help this time.'_ The idol squares she shoulders and gazes at Ryu. "Set it up."

With practiced efficiency, Ryu picks up his phone and immediately starts dialing.

Eli speaks up, "We could help you get ready for them."

Nico stares at the blonde, "Really? Have you been to these interviews?"

Eli shakes her head, "Not really. But they don't sound any different from interrogations."

Nico stares at her in shock, "I'm pretty sure it's not that extreme."

"Probably not." They look at Nozomi, "But one thing they have in common is that they want to pry information from you or make you say something that you regret." Nozomi spreads her arms, "We can teach you techniques and help you prepare for most of their questions."

"Yeah!" Rin pumps her fist.

Nico looks at each of her guards in turn and she finally stops at Eli's face. She heaves a sigh, "Fine."

_._

_. . . . . . . . . ._

_._

_Next day..._

Nico finds herself sitting on a chair with a table in front of her; the table and chair is on a platform that is slightly above the floor. Nico looks around as her guards set up chairs in front of her. "So what are we doing?"

Eli puts a chair down and looks up, "We are doing a simulation." Nico raises her eyebrow at that.

Nozomi sits down on her chair and elaborates, "We're going to help you on how to deal with these kinds of people Nico."

"You talked to journalists before?"

Nozomi smiles, "You could say that I have experience."

"Now then." Umi is already seated with a folder, "Let us start."

.

.

"Why did you become an idol?"

.

.

"Why did you make that video?"

.

.

"Keep a relaxed posture so you don't panic."

.

.

"Take you time to answers their question. Be sure to pause so you can gather your thoughts."

.

.

"Do you like ramen?"

Nico looks at Rin, "What?" Nico looks at Umi but the blunette just nods. "Uh sure."

Eli fills Nico in, "They will try to catch you off your tempo."

.

.

"Keep your answers simple and clear. The reporters will try to twist your words so repeat your claim."

.

.

"Don't be afraid of the silence in between the questions."

_One hour later..._

"Urrrrgh." Nico lays sprawled over the table. _'What a mess.'_

Nozomi is beside the idol and rubs small circles on her back, "I know it's a lot to take in, but we have a week to practice."

"Urrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrgh." Somehow Nico became one with the table. Lost in her dream, she barely felt a thud near her head; she looks up to see a water bottle placed by Eli. She smiles at the blonde, "Thank you." She takes a swig from the bottle and looks around the room; Rin is in front of her while Umi is on her phone.

Rin wrings her hands, "Are you going to be okay?"

Nico puts the bottle down and waves her off, "It's fine. It's just the press."

Rin sighs, "Well, at least you don't have to worry about fans from the other side of the world."

Nico just stares at the orange-haired newbie.

Rin shifts under the idol's gaze, "W-What?"

"Rin, you're a genius."

"I am?" Rin looks at Eli and Nozomi but they just shrugged.

Nico already has her phone out and up on her ear. _Ring Ring_ "...Hanayo? Hey I need you to do something..."

_._

_. . . . . . . . . ._

_._

_A week and a half later..._

_News Building_

Nico paces around the room and stops occasionally to look at the clock.

"It's going to be fine." Nico looks to her side to see Nozomi smiling at the idol.

"Easy for you to—"

The door opens and Hanayo stops at the entrance, "Sorry... I'm... late." Hanayo takes a couple of more breaths and straightens her back. Now Nico can see Hanayo is wearing a pencil skirt, blouse, and glasses; she truly looks like an official.

Rin is by her side smoothing Hanayo's hair while Nico walks over and places her hand on the technician's shoulder, "You good?"

Hanayo takes one final breath, "Yes."

Nico nods and steps back. "Okay."

Umi claps to get everyone's attention, "Let's go over the plan one more time." Seeing their nods, she continues, "Hanayo will be mixed in with the reporters so she can record the interview while Rin and I will be at the front just in case something happens. It will also help Nico to see familiar face in the crowd." Hanayo and Rin nod. Umi looks at the other guards, "Eli. Nozomi. You two will be behind and on either side of Nico. For now, the both you will be seen as Nico's official bodyguards." They nod at Umi.

Umi looks at the star, "I talked with Ryu to make some accommodations for you at the table. Finally, remember what we taught you and you should do fine."

Nico goes into her pose, "No matter who I'm front of, The World's Number 1 Idol always shines." Rin and Hanayo goes into a fit of giggles, Eli and Nozomi smiles at her antics, and even Umi's lips slightly twitches upward.

Umi, Rin, and Hanayo starts walking toward the door, "We'll be going ahead to get our seats."

Rin gives a two-finger salute, "See you soon."

Hanayo puts on her reporter badge, "Good luck out there Nico."

They walk out the room, leaving Nico alone with Eli and Nozomi. Nico walks over and places her hands on the table. _'God, this is actually more nerve-wracking than concerts,'_

She feels a hand on her left shoulder and she turns to see Nozomi. "You got this Nicocchi."

She feels a hand on her right shoulder and she turns to see Eli. "You can do it Nico."

Nico sees their bracelets and her heart swells; she crosses her arms and grips their hands, "Thank you." The idol looks at the clock to see it's almost time for the interview. She looks back and smiles, "Let's rock this."

They smile in turn and escort her out of the room.

_._

_. . . . . . . . . ._

.

_Conference Room_

Lights. Talking. Noises. Nico can see cameras flashing as she enters the conference room. As she walks closer to her platform, Nico sees all the reporters bunched up in neat rows of chairs. When she is near the chair, she smiles and waves her hand to everyone. As she looks around, her eyes shine when she spots Hanayo in the middle of the crowd. She feels comfortable seeing Rin and Umi at the front posing as reporters. Then she starts to feel confident seeing Eli and Nozomi on either side of her table.

Nico sits down and almost sighs in bliss at the cushion. She looks at the table to see a glass of water and an adjustable microphone. The idol slightly tilts her head to Umi, _'Thank you Umi.'_ Nico leans on the back support, crosses her leg and leans on the left arm-support. She brings the microphone close to her mouth, "Hello everyone, it's your idol Nico Yazawa. Thank you for your time and go easy on me." She sees some smiles here and there. _'Tough crowd.'_

She takes a sip, "Now, questions?" It was like watching a wall of flesh rise from the depths as almost every hand shoots up; it took a few seconds before Rin, Umi, and Hanayo raises their hands to avoid attention.

Nico picks someone, "Yes. You."

A man with brown hair stands up. "Why did you make that video?"

Nico waits a couple of seconds before answering, "I wanted to show my thanks to my fans around the world." Than man nods and sits down, prompting the sea of hands to rise again. "You."

A man with black hair rises, "Are you going to do a concert outside of Japan?"

"That option is taken into discussion." The man just waits and stares at her. Nico just smiles and stares back. After a few more seconds that man sits down and the waves of hands rise up. Nico takes a second to take a sip of water. "You." A woman with ash blond hair rises up and Nico's hackles stand out, _'Shit.'_

The woman briefly looks down on her notes before looking back at Nico, "Is it because you're not ranked number 1 here that you decided to make that video?"

Nico grips the armrest but her face doesn't change. "I made that video to show my thanks to my fans around the world."

Her response is rapid fast, "So you're saying that you don't thank you fans here?"

_'This little bitch.'_ Nico takes a breath before smiling. "I thank all of my fans from the bottom of my heart."

"So why English? Was it because of the US?"

Nico can hear the chair creak as she strangles the armrest. She takes a sip of water before answering. "I spoke in English because it is a common language spoken around the world. And what I said is that I made my video for fans _around_ the world." _'I really have to thank everyone for the translation.'_ She takes a few moments in silence to look around the room. She sees Hanayo worried look, but she nods in assurance. Some of the reporters seem to glare at the woman, especially Rin.

Nico smiles at the woman, "Is that all of your questions so we can let the other reporters have their turn?" _'God just sit down already.'_

A few seconds of silence go by and Nico finally thought she was done but that woman threw a verbal hook. "Sources say that you were attacked at one of your concerts, is it true?"

Nico widens her eyes but she fought it under control. She takes a sip and tries to think something when Eli's advice comes in mind: _'Remember Nico, you can't lie otherwise it will blow in your face. But you can stretch and exaggerate the truth.'_

Nico smiles, "First off, that sounds like a rumor. Do you have any proof?" The woman stays silent. "Then let me dispel that rumor. What actually happened was that my fans got too excited when they saw me." Nico flips her hair, "I mean, even _I_ couldn't resist myself when I see the mirror."

That got several reporters laughing at that and the woman finally sits down. Nico mentally cheers, _'Finally.'_ "Now you. What's your question..."

_._

_. . . . . . . . . ._

.

_2 hours later..._

_Nico's House_

"Guh." Nico sprawls over the floor in the living room. As she soaks into the carpet, she hears the doors closing and footsteps thudding closer to her prone body. She rolls over to see Eli walking into the kitchen while Nozomi is walking towards her.

She sits down on the floor and leans against the glass table. "You did good Nicocchi."

"Urrgh." Nico rubs her face. "I'd rather do two concerts back-to-back than do that again."

Nozomi just giggles at her answers.

_Clink_

Nico looks back to see an upside-down Eli carrying three glasses of water. As the blonde places them on the table, she smiles at Nico, "I'm proud that you were able to handle that reporter."

"Oh her?" Nico scowls at the memory, "I wanted to punch her face in." Eli just chuckles at that. Then her stomach growls and the idol blushes, "Want to order take-out?"

They both nod, "Sure."

Then Nozomi's phone rings and she brings it up to see the number; one of her eyebrows raises as she stares at her phone. She looks to them, "You can order ahead." She walks to the room that leads to the garage and backyard.

Nico turns to Eli, "So what are you in the mood for?"

Eli takes a sip of her glass, "Hmmm, maybe noodles?"

"That sounds good." Nico takes out her—

"Father!?"

* * *

* * *

**.**

**And Le Fin.**

**Some notes:**

**-I got inspired from Jordan Peterson's 'interview' so I tried to incorporate some of it here.**

**-Nico didn't lie; the fans almost ran over Nico.**

**Man I just came back to this only to go back into pause: **

**As of now I will be postponing my stories; college has taken most of my life including my free time. I apologize to my followers as I take the time off to tackle these classes.**

**See ya next time.**

**Thanks for reading**

**Constructive criticisms are appreciated **

**Brave Tango out.**


	12. Bonds

**Hello again.**

"Blah" — Speech

"Blah" — Speech in another language

_'Blah' _— Thoughts

[ Blah ] — Text

*_Blah_* — Sound effects in speech

(**_Blah_**) — Author's notes

**Disclaimer: I do not own any characters of Love Live! School Idol Project. This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author's imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.**

* * *

* * *

_Bonds are stronger than Blood_

"Father!?"

Nico jumps and almost drops her phone from Nozomi's outburst. She stays in place and waits for any other sounds; it seems that Nozomi's voice devolves into whispers. Keeping her eye on the mini-stairs, Nico shuffles closer to Eli and whispers, "Do you know why that asshole has Nozi's number?"

Eli turns to Nico and shakes her head, "Unfortunately I don't know." The blonde shakes her head, "Anyway you should order. I have a feeling we all need something to eat."

Nico grumbles, _'Who's the boss here?'_ But she goes on her phone and orders three bowls of ramen. Nico sits down on the couch and places her phone on the table. _'Damn this is so awkward.'_ She feels the couch shift and Eli sits beside the idol as they wait for Nozomi to finish her talk. It was ten minutes of waiting that Nico scratches the back of her head. _'What should I say to Nozi...'_

Just after that thought Nico hears footsteps and turns her head to see Nozomi walking up the mini-stairs with her head down. The guard looks up and her shoulders twitch; it seems she forgot they were there. "A-Ah did you already order the food yet Nico? I'm hungry." She tries to keep up appearance with a smile.

Now Nico knows something is up. With her eyebrows pinched, the idol walks up to her purple-haired guard. "Nozomi, we're here for you."

Her smile falters and sighs, "...It's my father... He—"

_Ding_

Nico turns to the door. _'Tch. Seriously?'_ She sighs and looks back at Nozomi, "Take your time." The shorter woman lightly touches the guard's forearm, "We'll wait for you." She tilts her head to the door, "C'mon. Let's eat."

Nozomi smiles for real this time, "Thank you Nicocchi."

.

. . . . . . . . . .

.

_The next day_

_Office_

Umi opens the door to allow Nico and the rest of the guards to shuffle in. The idol sees Ryu busy at the computer. _'Jeez he's always on the computer.'_ She snaps a two-finger salute, "Yo Ryu. What's the plan for today?"

Ryu looks up from the computer, "Ah Nico." He swivels the chair to fully face them. "For now, let's talk about yesterday's interview. Do you want the bad or good news first?"

Nico brings a chair close to the table and sits down, "Hit me with the bad first."

Ryu clasps his hands together, "The public's opinion of you... have lowered." He turns the monitor to show Nico and her guards a graph. He points a bigger bar, "This was before the interview and video." He then points to a smaller bar, "And this is after the interview."

"Oh nya."

Umi sighs, "It was bound to happen."

Nico stays silent as Eli and Nozomi rub her shoulders. Ryu waits for a few seconds before continuing, "A poll was taken on what the people and fans think of you. Most seem to support you, but there are some who... have strong feeling against you."

Nico sighs, "Just give it to me Ryu. Might as well take it now."

"Some citizens see you as a gajin-lover and a disgrace to Japan while some fans felt betrayed by your announcement video."

"Haaaaa..." Nico places her hand on her face; even when it's only a small amount of people, it still hurts to hear it. Nico remembers what Umi had said, _'What a mess.'_

Nozomi rubs Nico's back, "There there Nicocchi."

Eli looks at the producer, "What is the good news?"

"Right." He begins typing on the keyboard. A video pops up on the monitor; it was yesterday's interview. "Apparently someone leaked—" Ryu quickly glances at the guards— "a video of the interview. This anonymous leaker was able to translate the video into multiple languages." Ryu scrolled down the page:

Nico_Knees: We got your back Nico!

#1_Fan_of_The_#1_Idol: Nico showed that ho in her place.

Weeb_Vet: Thank you Nico for noticing us!

Nico stares at all the positive comments from her domestic and international fans, _'Oh my god.'_ Her eyes start to feel heavy from all the support. The idol stands up and puffs out her chest, "Alright Ryu, what's the game plan?"

Ryu pivots the monitor back to him, "For now you'll be taking a week off so things can cool down."

Nico deflates, _'I got hyped up for nothing.'_ Eli pats her back for comfort.

"Oh, before you go, you have fan mail." Ryu points at another table where there is a box full of mail.

"Oh right. I almost forgot about them." Nico makes her way over and picks up a couple of mails. "There's so many." She drops the mail back to the box. "I'll read them at home."

Eli walks over and picks up the box, "I'll carry these to the car." The rest of the guards start their way to the door.

Nico smiles, "Thanks Eli."

Ryu waves at Nico, "Enjoy your break. I'll call you if something pops up."

Nico waves back, "Thanks and see ya."

.

. . . . . . . . . .

.

_Home_

Nico waves at Umi and Rin, "Welp, you two can go back the company."

Umi raises her hand, "But—"

The idol waves off her concerns, "It's all good. I'm not going anywhere for the day. And besides," Nico steps over to Umi and leans near the guard's ear, "You get to do some shameless stuff with Kotori."

Umi jerks her head back, "You-I-That's-" Umi's cheeks are dusted with pink. Umi walks to her car, "Let's go Rin. I'm taking you back to the office."

Rin jumps at the announcement and follows Umi. "Oh!" Rin turns around and waves at Nico. "See ya Nico."

Nico waves back, "See ya. Oh and tell the others I said Hi." Nico turns around to see Eli and Nozomi slack-jawed. "What?"

Nozomi chuckles and shakes her head, "Always surprising us Nicocchi." Eli picks up the mail box and they walk inside the house.

"What?" Nico chases after them and closes the door. She sees Eli dropping the box in the living room and Nozomi in the kitchen. The idol walks over to Eli, "Hey what was that about?"

"Hmm? Oh." Eli scratches the back of her head, "Umi is very stubborn about staying with clients and that was the first time I saw her leave like that." The blonde tilts her head, "What did you say to her?"

"H-Heh. That's a secret." _'Holy crap that was effective.'_ Nico smiles, _'The possibilities.'_ She looks down at the box, "Oh right." Nico rips an envelope and take the letter out:

_Dear Nico:_

_Stay strong and I will always support you._

_Sincerely,_  
_Mami_

"Awwww thanks Mami." Nico places the letter down and takes another envelope and rips it open:

WHY WONT YOU LEAVE JAPAN!

"What the fuck?" Nico tosses the letter to the side in disgust. After a few seconds, Nico sees Nozomi and Eli sitting next to her and taking an envelope. "Hey what are you two doing?"

Eli rips it open, "We're helping you with mail." She tosses it to the side.

Nozomi opens her envelope, "We're sorting the bad from the good." She hands the letter to Nico.

Nico tentatively accepts the letter and smiles, "Thank you."

.

_45 minutes later..._

"Phew." Nico leans back as she finished the last letter. She looks to the side to see two piles of letters: there is the fan-mail and the hate-mail; the hate-mail is the bigger pile. Nico shakes her head, _'Just like Umi said.'_ She picks up the fan-mail and gets up. "Can you do me a favor?" The guards nod; Nico points at the hate-mail pile, "Can you throw those away? Thanks." They nodded again as Nico starts her way up the stairs and into her room.

.

_Nico's room_

Once inside, Nico walks to the closet and slides open the door. She crouches down and takes out a box. _'Hah. It's not even a day and I'm already tired.'_ She opens the lid and there are many folders inside the box. Nico picks up an empty folder and a pen to write down the date on said folder.

She puts the fan-mail inside the folder and places it back in the box. Just as she was about to close the box, Nico see the first folder; it was her first debut. _'Might as well look.'_ She picks up the folder and takes out the letters. As she combs through them, one caught her eye:

_Hey Nico,_

_I know the show didn't go the way you like, but I believe in you. I believe you can become number 1 and I will always support you._

_Koizumi_

Nico chuckles as she falls on her bed. _'Oh wow. What a blast from the past.'_ She places Hanayo's letter on the bedside table. _'Maybe I should tease her about it.'_

_Knock Knock_

.

.

_5 minutes earlier_

_Living room_

Nozomi and Eli are shredding the hate-mail and throwing them in the trash. Just as they finished with the last letter, Eli turns to Nozomi, "I think you should tell Nico."

"I-I think now isn't a good time. She's already busy as is."

"Nico has the week off from work. And besides, I would have reminded her if you didn't say anything."

"Aww, you're so unfair Elichi. *_Sigh_* Alright." Nozomi smirks at Eli, "You were never this assertive before. You really care about Nico.

"S-She's just our boss. Of course I care about Nico." There must be some pink dust on Eli's cheeks.

"I can also see that she cares about you Elichi."

"Nozomi," Eli puts her hand on Nozomi's shoulders, "She cares about you too." Nozomi paused at the sincerity of Eli's voice. "Now stop stalling and call her."

"Alright alright." Nozomi chuckles as she walks upstairs.

.

.

_Now_

_Knock Knock_

Nico sits up from the bed, "Come in."

The door opens and Nozomi's head peeks in. "Hey Nicocchi. Are you busy?"

"No. What's up?"

"Well, it's about last night."

_'Oh shit. I forgot about that.'_ Nico stands up, "Is everything okay?"

Nozomi opens the door completely and waves her hands to placate Nico. "Everything is alright. I just... want to talk about it."

_'Phew.'_ "Alright."

Nozomi waves Nico over, "Let's go downstairs. I want to tell Eli as well."

Nico follows Nico down to the living to see Eli sitting on the couch. She takes a seat as Nozomi stands before them. _'I hope it's not too hard on Nozi.'_

Nozomi fiddles with her shirt before she sighs, "As you may already heard, my father called me. He saw me on TV and wants to meet me with my mother." Nozomi shrugs, "I told him I was busy and hung up."

Nico raises her hand, "How did he get your number?"

"I gave it to him." Seeing their confused stares Nozomi elaborated, "I gave it to him after my contract was complete."

"But why? They're a bunch of assholes."

Nozomi shrugs again, her smile falters for a while. "I guess I had hoped that we could reconnect." Nozomi sighs, "I should have changed my number."

They lapsed into silence as they processed this information. Nico gets up and walks over to place her hand on Nozomi's shoulder, "You should meet them."

"Eh!?"

"Eh!? But I thought—"

"I know what I said. But even though I think they're assholes, they're still your parents. I think that this is the perfect chance for you. You could either make up with them or break it off from them." _'I hope they break it off.'_ Nico almost jerks at that stray thought but she focuses on Nozomi.

"But what about you? It's my job to protect you."

"Then me and Eli will be somewhere close." Nico places her other hand on Nozomi's arm. "Look I don't know what's it's like to have those kinds of parents, but I know enough that you should deal with now rather than bottle it up."

"I..." Nozomi looks at Nico and Eli. "I...alright."

"You got this," Nico pats Nozomi's shoulder. "Set it up and we'll be there for you."

.

. . . . . . . . . .

.

_The next day_

_Shopping mall_

Nozomi could not help but giggle at the sight in front of her; both of them are wearing sundresses while the idol is wearing a big sunhat and sunglasses. "Oh you two look so adorable." The purple-haired guard quickly fished out her phone and took a picture.

Eli tries to wave her hands in front of her face, "S-Stop. Try to be serious about this." Although her voice doesn't sound too serious.

Nico looks at her phone, "It's almost time." Nico puts a hand on Nozomi's shoulder, "Good luck. We'll be close by if anything happens."

Nozomi nods, "Alright." She begins her way inside the shopping mall. After several seconds of walking, she is close to the meeting spot. _'Ah, I didn't want to meet them, but Nico is right. I need to this and bury it so I can move on.'_ Finally she walks inside to see the two people she hasn't seen since she was in high school.

She sees that they already ordered food without her as sits down in front of them. "Hello father. Mother."

Her father puts his chopsticks down. "Nozomi." Her mother continues eating.

After a long moment of silence, Nozomi opens her menu to look for some—

"Quit your job."

Nozomi jerks and drops her menu, "...What?"

"Quit your job. You're embarrassing yourself associating with that... idol. A bodyguard?" He shakes his head, "What a disappointment. You're coming with me so you can stop being a fool."

Nozomi could only stare at her father:

_Shock_

_Confusion_

_Anger_

_'This is the first thing he says to me? After all these years?'_ Nozomi lowers her hands to her pants, _'I should have known.'_ She takes a deep breath before she steels herself. "No."

"...Excuse me?" Even her mother stops eating.

"After all these years, we finally meet again and this is the first thing you say to me? You're only worried that I might embarrass you?" Nozomi shakes her head, "No. I quite like it here. I have a job that I like and friends who care about me."

"...How disappointing. You're no longer my daughter anymore."

Nozomi felt like being slapped in the face at being disowned. She was in a roller coaster of emotions but Nozomi couldn't help but quip, "It's alright, it's not like you were a great father to me." Nozomi quickly reacted and raised her hands to protect her face from the plate; she could feel the food stick to her clothes.

Mr. Tojo is standing with his eyes narrowed at Nozomi. He reaches inside his suit and places a 10000-yen note on the table. He frowns as he walks out the restaurant with Mrs. Tojo following him.

Nozomi bends down as she tries to clean up the food. _'Ah, Nico would be mad at the food wasted.'_ She then hears a commotion causing her to look up to see Nico and Eli walking towards her. "Ni—" She catches herself from calling out the idol's name in public. Nico bends down to help clean while Eli talks with a waitress.

They finished cleaning and made a quick exit out of the place. They kept walking until they stopped at a secluded area. Nico turns around and tries to wrap her arms around Nozomi.

But Nozomi catches the idol's arms, "W-Wait Nicocchi. I'm dirty." Surprisingly Nico is able to overpower Nozomi and wraps her arms around the guard's waist. The mess on Nozomi's clothes stains Nico's dress, "Nico—"

"I'm sorry I made you do that."

"It's..." Nozomi inhales as she feels a hand on her shoulder, "It's fine Nicocchi." Tears trail down her face, "It hurts but I'm free."

* * *

* * *

**.**

**Fin.**

**Man I come back from this story and I make it with drama. I'm sorry Nozomi that you had to go through with that. Alas, I must go back into hibernation.**

**Thanks for reading**

**Constructive criticisms are appreciated**

**Bravo Tango out.**

* * *

* * *

_Earlier_

"That fucking asshole!" Nico jumps out of her seat.

Eli was faster and hugs Nico to bring them behind a pillar. "Nico stop."

Nico struggles against the blonde's grip. "That asshole threw a plate a Nozomi."

"I know!" Nico stopped struggling. "I know, but you can't cause a scene right now. Nozomi wouldn't want you to lose your career because of her. She would be devastated."

After a while, Nico finally relaxes, "Alright. Alright." Eli releases Nico and they peek around the corner; Nozomi is on the ground picking up the food. "Let's get her out of there."


	13. Yazawas

**I'm back!**

"Blah" — Speech

"Blah" — Speech in another language

_'Blah' _— Thoughts

[ Blah ] — Text

*_Blah_* — Sound effects in speech

(**_Blah_**) — Author's notes

**Disclaimer: I do not own any characters of Love Live! School Idol Project. This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author's imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.**

* * *

* * *

_Meeting the Yazawas_

_Home_

_'Three days. Three. Days.'_ Nico slowly scrubs her plate in the sink. _'And Nozi is still feeling down.'_ After the incident with her par— _those strangers_, Nozomi has been feeling down as of lately. She would always try to act cheerful whenever she is in front of Nico and Eli, but it's difficult to hide what you're feeling when you live with them; Nico would sometimes catch Nozomi sighing and staring out the window for long periods of time.

The idol shakes her head and starts to scrub harder, _'I need to find a way to get her out of her funk. But how?'_ She realizes the plate is already clean and finally places it on the dish rack. She dries her hands and looks at the clock to see it's twelve o'clock. Nico walks out of the kitchen area to see Eli on the couch with the TV on; she ambles her way to the blonde and whispers, "Have you seen Nozi?"

Eli tilts her head to the second story and whispers back, "She's upstairs."

"Alright," Nico leans her hand on the top of couch so she has the view of both Eli and the stairs. "We gotta do something to get Nozi out of her funk."

"I think she just needs some time to process what happened to her."

Nico gestures with her other hand, "Is there anything we can do? Something to take her mind off of it?" Nico sighs, "I just want to see her smile again."

"We could..." Eli pauses as she thinks of something. "...go to the gym at the company. Exercise can relieve stress."

_'That makes sense.'_ Nico nods her head, "Alright. Let's do that." Nico waves her hand and makes her way to the stairs, "C'mon, you tell her that we're going and I need to get something from my room."

"Okay." Eli and Nico reach to the top and split off in opposite directions.

Nico closes her door and quickly walks over to her closet door. She opens it to see her fan-mail box and takes off the lid. She sifts through the insides and finds the letter, "Gotcha." She places it on her bed and takes out her phone to take a picture of it.

_Snap_

_Knock knock_

"Nico?"

"Yeah?" Nico quickly stuffs the letter back into the box.

"Are you ready?"

The idol takes some of her workout clothes and closes the door. "Give me a few minutes."

.

. . . . . . . .

.

_Muse company_

"Alright I'll see you two at the gym." Nico waves at her guards.

"See you later Nicocchi."

"See you soon."

Nico jogs in a direction she hopes to be where Hanayo's office would be. _'Damn I should've asked for directions.'_ It seems luck is on the idol's side as the techie appears from the corner. "Yo Hanayo."

Hanayo jerks at the sudden voice and turns her head, "Oh Nico. What are you doing here?"

Nico jogs up to her, "I was getting a little restless in the house so I thought to come here and work out. But enough of that." Nico smirks and takes out her phone, "You gotta take a look at this."

"Oh?" Hanayo tilts her body to get a better look at the picture, but she face goes bright red and she covers her face with her hands, "Nooooooooo."

"Ahahahaha," Nico moves her phone up and takes a picture of this moment. Nico waits for a while as Hanayo whines in embarrassment. '_Alright that should be good enough.'_ She places her hands on Hanayo's shoulders, "Hey look at me." Hanayo slowly pulls her hands off of her face, "Thank you for cheering me on."

"It's..." Hanayo averts her eyes, "It's not much."

"It is to me."

"Ah-well- you're welcome."

"So," Nico drops her hands, "How's it going with Maki?"

Hanayo perks up at the name, "Ah, well there's some progress since she's open to the idea."

Nico give a thumbs-up, "Nice."

Hanayo smiles, "Thank you for helping us."

"This idol is happy to help." Nico looks at the clock on her phone, "I gotta be at the gym." Nico gives a quick hug, "I'll see you later." She jogs off in the opposite direction.

"See you Nico."

.

_Training room_

Nico enters the room to see Rin on one of the treadmills and Umi at the weight station._ 'Hmmm, should do some cardio.'_ The pro idol walks to Rin's direction and steps up on the treadmill next to the rookie guard. She presses a few buttons and the treads start to move; Nico paces her speed to match with the machine's speed. After several seconds of jogging, Nico turns her head, "Hey Rin."

"Ah!" Rin stumbles but she catches herself and runs back to her normal speed, "Oh hey Nico."

"How you've been?"

"Not much. It's been simple lately."

"Nice." Nico takes a look around the room again, "Have you seen Eli and Nozomi?"

"They went inside the lock room a while ago." Rin looks to the side, "Oh there they are."

Nico looks at Rin's direction and had to hit the slow-speed button otherwise she would trip on her face; they are wearing the same thing when the idol first met them. _'Oh fuck they're so hot.'_ Now they are clamping on kind of gear on their bodies while Nico bites her lower lip and looks back at Rin.

Luckily Rin was busy looking at them, "Ooooh, they're going to spar."

"Spar?"

"Oh right," Rin lowers her speed so she can explain, "Spar are like mock-battles so we can practice our skills." She shrugs, "They're not like the real deal but they help."

"Oh. Then why did you make it sound like something is about to go down?"

Rin tilts her head at them, "Just watch."

Nico turns the speed down to walking pace and looks back at the arena.

They seem to be a decent distance away from each other and standing still. Then they bowed and got into their fighting stance. Eli has her right leg behind her and both of arms are near her face. Nozomi has her right leg back as well but her left arm is in front while her right is near her face. They stayed in that position for some time before Eli attacked first and threw her left fist.

Nozomi steps into the attack and deflects it to right, allowing her to catch Eli's fist with her right hand. Just as Nozomi was about to attack, the blonde threw a quick punch to Nozomi's left side, making her wincing from that strike and dropping Eli's hand. Eli then lowers her body and tries to grab Nozomi's legs. But Nozomi moves her legs back and Eli misses her grab. The purplenette then grabs Eli's neck and raises her right knee, but Eli has her hands in front of face to stop the attack.

"Huh that's weird."

Nico turns to Rin, "What?" Nico realizes that both of them stopped their treadmills.

"Well, this fight is not like the rest."

"What do you mean?"

"Well," Rin gestures her hands in the direction of the spar, "It's like Nozomi's fighting seems a bit off." Nico must have a confused face as Rin quickly add, "If that makes sense."

"Rin's right."

Nico jumps and quickly turns around to see Umi standing next to her treadmill. Umi continues to speak, "Like Rin said, their spars are usually not like this. It looks like Nozomi seems distracted."

_'Damn it. This is not working out.'_ Nico looks back at the fight to see it already ended; Nozomi is on the ground with Eli on top. Nico nibbles her thumb, _'Is there anything else?'_ Seconds pass by before Nico's eyes widen, _'I got it.'_

_Clap_

"Oiii!" Nico made sure she has everyone's attention. "Let's go on a mini road-trip."

.

. . . . . . . .

.

_Some neighborhood_

_Afternoon_

"C'mon, it's not _that_ bad." Nico gets out of the car following after Rin.

"It would have been safer at your house Miss Yazawa." Umi and the other guards get out of the car as well.

"Urrgh it's Nico." Nico walks with her protective entourage to a two-story house. "Besides, it's just my family." They make their way to the front door and Nico knocks on the door.

After several seconds of waiting and the door opens to reveal an older-looking Nico in front of them. When she sees Nico, she gasps, "Oh my god Nico!" She hugs the idol.

"Hey mama." Nico hugs her back.

They separate from their hug, "Why didn't you call? I would have prepared something."

"I wanted to surprise you—"

"Nico!"

Three blurs fly past her mom and into Nico, "Oof." Once she recovered from that surprise tackle, Nico looks down and instantly smiles, "Hey Cocoro," Nico pats the head of a girl wearing a skirt and blouse. "Cocoa," She pats the head of a girl wearing a t-shirt and gym shorts. "Cotarou," The idol finally pats the head of a boy wearing a shirt and loose pants.

Nico looks up but raises her eyebrow at her mom's shocked face; she looks behind to see all of her guards with their hands on their sides. The idol rolls her eyes, _'Nice first impression.'_ Nico steps back and waves at her mom, "So this is my mama."

Mama tilts her head, "Hello I'm Junko Yazawa."

The girl with the skirts bows, "I am Cocoro Yazawa."

The girl with the shorts gives a V sign, "I'm Cocoa Yazawa."

The boy gives a simple wave, "I'm Cotarou Yazawa."

They guards recovered and Umi steps forward to bow at the family, "I am Umi Sonoda and I am terribly ashamed for our behavior."

Rin is next, "I'm Rin Hoshizara and sorry about that."

"I'm Eli Ayase and I apologize for my behavior."

"I'm Nozomi To- Just Nozomi and please pardon us."

"Mama, munchkins." Nico waves at her guards, "These are my security agents—" Nico's eyes lingers on Eli and Nozomi, "—and my friends."

"Oh." Junko smiles, "Thank you for protecting my daughter." She ushers to the house, "Please come in. I'll make some tea for you."

After giving their thanks, everyone goes inside the house and follow the siblings to the living room. Once there, Cocoa turns to Nozomi, "So what's it like being a security?"

Nico intercepts her, "Woah now, you gotta ask if she okay with that."

Nozomi waves her hands, "It's okay Nicocchi." She turns to Cocoa, "It's a great job where I protect my clients with my friends."

"Did you do anything before this?"

"I was in the military."

"Wow! That sounds amazing." It seems the siblings are getting interested. "Do you have any stories to tell?"

"I do," Nozomi grins and faces Umi, "She's also from the military."

The siblings pounce on her, "Do you have stories too?"

"I-Well-That's-" Seeing Umi's flustered face is great. "Yes, but Nozomi should tell hers first."

The Yazawa trio turns back to Nozomi who chuckles, "Well, there is this one time..."

.

_One hour later_

(**_POV shift to Nozomi_**)

Nozomi sits at the kitchen table and sighs, _'They are definitely Nicocchi's siblings with all that energy.'_ Nozomi looks to the living to see everyone crowding around Umi as she narrates her time in the military. Almost everyone.

"How are you doing?" Eli sits down on the chair next to her.

Nozomi smiles, "Tired. It's like her family doesn't know the meaning of tired."

Eli nods in agreement.

Nozomi puts her head on the palm of her hand, "It feels nice to be around them."

Before Eli can say anything, Junko comes with empty mugs. "Oh, didn't see you there." Junko makes her way to the sink to place the mugs inside. She turns around and leans on the countertop. "Eli and Nozomi right?"

Eli nods, "Yes Mrs. Yazawa."

Junko waves her hands, "Oh please call me Junko. I always feel old when people call me that."

"Alright... Junko."

"Anyway, I would like to say thank the both of you for being there for Nico."

_'Us?'_ Nozomi and Eli briefly look at each before looking back at Junko. "What do you mean?"

"I've seen the way she looks at you two. How her smiles are just a little bit bigger." She smiles, "It reminds me of the time when she was a little kid." Then her smile becomes nostalgic, "Did you know that Nico wanted to become an idol when she was a little kid?"

Unsure of answering verbally, they shake their heads.

"Nico would devote most of her childhood working toward that dream. But it was because of that devotion that she didn't have any friends. She said she doesn't care and wanted to focus on her dream. It took a very long time but she made it." Junko gestures the room around them, "Six years ago she bought this house for us and forced me to retire early."

"But I'm getting off-track." The older adult walks over to the guards, "What I'm trying to say is that Nico changed from the last time she visited us and I believe you two played a part in it."

Nozomi is the first to recover, "How... do you know?"

Junko just smiles, "Call it a mother's intuition."

Just then Nico walks in, "Hey what are you girls talking about?"

Junko waves at the guards, "I was just about to show them your baby pictures."

"What!?" Somehow Nico's face heats up and pales at the same time.

"Oh my," Nozomi giggles behind her hand. _'Nicocchi looks so cute like that.'_

Then Rin's head pops from the side of the entrance, "Cocoa is setting up some games so any of you want to join?"

"Yes!" Nico grabs her mom and ushers her out, "I'm sure everyone wants to join in." Nozomi sees Nico look back give a strained smile, "Right?"

Nozomi looks over to Eli and they both smile at Nico's attempts to change the subject. The purple-haired guard gets up from her table, "Lead the way Nicocchi."

.

(**_Shift back to Nico_**)

.

"Rin I'm pretty sure that _doesn't_ count as a word."

.

.

"How the hell did Umi get both of the blue properties?"

.

.

"There is no way a panda acts like that Nozi."

.

.

"Of course you would pick Russia as your starting country Eli."

.

.

Nico plops back onto the couch and looks up at the clock on the wall. _'We've been playing for three hours.'_ She looks down to see everyone else just finished cleaning and clearing the games away.

The siblings walk over to Nico and Cocoro asks, "Do you think we can watch a movie?"

Nico looks over to the guards; Eli, Nozomi, and Rin nod their heads while Umi takes a moment to consider before nodding her head. She looks back at her baby sisters and brother. "Sure."

"Yes," Cocoa pumps her fist while Cocoro and Cotarou smile.

They walk to the front of the TV and Cocoro picks up the remote. Nico looks up at the ceiling and sighs, _'I hope today was good for Nozi.'_ Just then she feels the couch shift from her right side; the idol tilts her head down to see Nozomi. "Yo."

Nozomi smiles, "Hey Nicocchi."

"So how was today?"

"Fun." Nozomi fondly shakes her head, "I can see where you got your energy from."

"Yeah, these munchkins can play all night if they want to." They both go into comfortable silence as they watch the siblings pick a movie. Nico takes the moment to prepare her words, "Hey."

Nozomi turns to Nico, "Hmm?"

"Just know that you have people who care for you. And if it's a family you want..." Nico looks to the side to hide her face, "I would take you in."

"Nicocchi..." Nico takes a peek to see Nozomi's eyes are watery, "Thank you... I'll consider it."

Nico smiles, "Cool."

Just then Eli come from the other room and sits on Nico's left. "Everything has been put away."

"Thanks Eli."

"No problem." Eli shifts in her seat to get comfortable.

The lights turned off as the movie starts on the screen. Nico looks around to see where everyone else was sitting. Slightly to the left Rin and Umi are sitting on a couch. On her right her mama sits on a couch while her siblings got an air-mattress on the floor in front of the TV. With everyone situated, Nico leans back on the cushion and watches the movie. Twenty minutes into the movie Nico's eyes start to droop. _'Arrgh... Must...Stay...Awake...'_ But it was all for naught as Nico's vision is surrounded in darkness.

.

_Psst_

.

"Hey."

.

"Huh?" Nico mumbles as she slowly opens her eyes; the first this she see is her mom in front of her.

"Hey sleepyhead." Junko whispers, "The movie is about to finish."

Nico looks to the screen to see explosions everywhere, "Oh." She looks back to her mom, "Thanks mama."

She has a weird smile, "No problem Nico." She goes back to her couch.

The idol looks to her left and right to see her guards asleep. She softly shakes their thighs in the hopes they don't react... violently.

Luckily they slowly woke up, "Hmm?" They look around in the darkness.

"Hey," Their unfocused eyes on Nico, "Movie is about to be done."

Eli rubs her eye, "Thank you Nico."

Nozomi quietly yawns into her mouth, "Thanks Nicocchi."

Just then the movie ends and the credits roll up. Nico sees her mom walk to the side of the wall, "Alright everyone close your eyes. I'm going to turn on the lights."

Nico closes her eye and after a couple of seconds the lights hit her eyelids. After several more seconds Nico opens her eyes and the lights are not as blinding as it would have been. Everyone gets up and stretches their tired bodies. Nico walks up to her family, "Today has been very fun with all of you. Now I gotta go back and keep my title as the Number 1 Idol."

"We got your back big sis."

Nico pats their heads and then walks over to hug her mom. "Thanks mama."

Mama hugs her back. "We'll always be here for you."

The guards all bow with Umi speaking out, "Thank you for your hospitality."

Her mom waves her hands, "Oh please none of that. I'm happy to have you all here."

Nico and her guards walk to the front door; she gives a wave to her family, "I'll come by again."

.

. . . . . . . .

.

_Home_

"Nicocchi are you dressed up yet?"

"Give me a minute." Nico picks up a blouse and slips in it. As she was finishing up, her phone vibrates on her nightstand. _'Who could it be this early?'_ Nico picks up and swipes her phone; it was a message from her mom:

[ Hey Nico I didn't think last night would be a good time but here's something for you. ]

_Would you like to open this file?_

Nico raises her eyebrow but presses the _yes_ button. Hey eyes nearly pop out as her phone shows her the content; it was a picture of her sleeping with the TV screen lighting up her face. But that wasn't what shocked Nico; Eli's head was on top of Nico's head while Nozomi's head was leaning on the idol's shoulder.

Nico quickly types out a response: [ Why did you take a picture? ]

[ The three of you looks so adorable that I couldn't miss the opportunity. ] [ And you should cherish them. ]

Nico sighs but she has a small smile: [ I know mama. ]

[ Good. Now dazzle the world. ]

[ I will. Love you mom. ]

[ Love you too Nico. ]

The idol presses a few buttons:

_Would you like save this file? _

_Yes / No_

_'Hell yes!'_ Nico pockets the phone and checks her figure with the mirror. With nothing out of place, Nico walks out of her room. She sees Eli and Nozomi waiting downstairs near the front door. They look up to see Nico and Nozomi is the first to speak, "You look good today Nicocchi."

Nico grins as she walks down the stairs, "You too Nozi."

Eli opens the front door and looks back, "You ready?"

Nico smiles, "Always."

* * *

* * *

**.**

**Fin.**

**Nico's break just finished while mine is just starting.**

**Also: WOOHOO! Summer is here and I am ready to write. **

**Notes:**

**-Sorry if the chapter seems janky; I just finished school so I'm trying to get my rhythm back.**

**-The reason the mini fight scene seems simplistic is because I'm trying to make it from Nico's POV... I also thought of it on the spot.**

**-Sorry I didn't do much with the Nico's siblings; it's kinda hard when they share the same voice actress.**

**-Can you guess the games they are playing?**

**Alright lovely readers I have an announcement to make: **

**I want to finish this story by the end of the year. Last semester made me realize how busy it's going to be. After this year, I'm going to be super busy trying to finish my degree. I'll do one-shots here and there but I won't be able to focus on multi-chapter stories (except Chronicles of the New World since it's a collection of one-shots).**

**Thanks for reading**

**Constructive criticisms are appreciated**

**Bravo Tango out.**


	14. Rep

**Hello to another chapter! **

"Blah" — Speech

"Blah" — Speech in another language

_'Blah' _— Thoughts

[ Blah ] — Text

*_Blah_* — Sound effects in speech

(**_Blah_**) — Author's notes

**Disclaimer: I do not own any characters of Love Live! School Idol Project. This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author's imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.**

* * *

* * *

_Taking Reputation Back_

_Producer Office_

Nico opens the door to see Ryu sitting on his chair with his eyes glued to the screen. _'It's like he never leaves the place.'_ "Yo Ryu." Nico snaps a two-finger salute. "What's the plan to show everyone how great I am?"

Ryu stops typing and swivels his chair to nod at the idol, "Good to see you ready Nico." He nods to the guards who nod in response. With introductions done, he focuses back on Nico, "I've planned some events but I have some things to tell you."

Nico sits down on a chair, "Alright."

Ryu pivots his computer screen and starts typing again, "Some of the investors are getting nervous since the public's opinion of you had no major changes."

Nico throws her hands up, "Oh come on."

"I was able to convince them that we can change the public's opinion." Graphs start to appear on the screen. "This also significantly helped my case."

All Nico see is bars, "What am I looking at?"

"These are your sales number of your merchandise." He points to the one on Nico's left, "This was before we revamped the website." He points at the bigger graph to the right, "And this is after. You made a 200% increase in profits."

Nico widens her eyes, "Holy shit!"

"That was a similar reaction I got when I showed this to the investors."

Nico spots Umi walking closing and staring down the screen. After a few seconds, she turns to Ryu, "Where did this large increase come from?"

Ryu gestures to the idol, "Nico has a lot of foreign fans."

Nico puffs her chest out in pride, "No one can resist the Nico-Nii charm." That got a few chuckles.

Ryu continues to elaborate, "With the official site translated, her fans don't have to go to third-party websites to buy products. It's also thanks to Miss Koizumi's advice that I found more efficient servers and shipping companies which makes it more convenient for your fans."

"Way to go Hanayo!" Nico turns her head around to see Rin with her fist pumped. Everyone must have been staring since Rin's face lit up; she coughs into her hand and looks at the opposite direction.

Nico shakes her head and chuckles at her actions. _'What a dork.'_

"Ahem." They all turn to Ryu, "So the plans." Ryu types at his keyboard and a picture of Akihabara. "Your first event will be a handshake event."

Nico nods her head, _'Haven't had those in a while.'_

"Uh," Nico looks at Eli, "What are handshake events?"

Nico stands up to turn to Eli, "It's an event where I get to meet my awesome fans face-to-face. I shake their hands or take pictures with them."

Eli places the crook of her index finger on her chin and her eyes narrow in thought. "So people will be close to you."

Nico rolls her eyes, _'So adorable.'_ "Yes people will be close to me, but I got four strong guards with me."

"Hmm."

"Back on topic," Ryu's computer screen changes to some studio. "Your next event will be a game-show with other celebrities."

Nico tilts her head, "Why a game-show?"

Ryu shrugs, "It's a popular show so it's a great opportunity for you to sway their opinion of you."

"So charm them. Gotcha."

"One more thing," Nico's video channel pops up. "The investors want you to make more videos."

"Probably for more money," Nico mutters and then her voice gets louder, "Anything else?"

Ryu shakes his head, "That's the general plan."

"Alright." She watches as Umi walks over to Ryu and talking with him. _'Probably wants more detail.'_ The idol turns and walks over to Rin, "Hey so do you know if Hanayo got any cool cameras?"

.

. . . . . . . . .

.

_Akihabara_

"This camera looks really small Hanayo." Nico turns over the small rectangular object in her hands.

"Don't worry Nico," Hanayo pushes up her glasses, "Even though it's compact, it is high quality."

Nico shrugs and looks Hanayo's face in Rin's phone; the techie's face and upper body appears through the screen. "If you say so."

"As you already note, the size and shape makes it convenient to hold. It has powerful batteries so you can record for long periods of time. The lens is top quality and the built-in microphone can capture even the quietest sound if you want to."

Most of jargon flew over the idol's head but she nods regardless. "Sounds top quality."

"Oh course. Oh there is another feature that could help you." Hanayo points at the camera, "Push the power button and push the screen upward."

Nico pushed the power button and after a few tries pushed the screen upward.

"Now point the camera towards you."

Nico turns the camera around and is surprised when she sees her face on the screen. _'It's like a portable mirror.'_ "Oh wow that looks cool." Nico looks at the screen again, "Anything else I should know about?"

For ten minutes Hanayo gave tips to the pro idol, "...And that should be most of it. If you need any help Rin can help you."

Rin snaps a quick salute, "You can count on me."

Hanayo's face seems to be focused on something else, "We'll if you need anything I'll be on standby."

Nico nods at Hanayo, "Gotcha. Thanks Hanayo."

"No worries and good luck." The link disconnects.

"Well here goes." Nico was about to press record but she pauses to look at her guards, "Are all of you fine being recorded?"

The bodyguards stare each and shrug; Eli answers for all of them, "It should be fine."

"Alright." Nico takes a breath and hits record. "Nico-Nico-Nii! Hello my beautiful fans and welcome to Akihabara." Nico slowly pivots the body so the camera captures recognizable buildings. The camera pans back to the idol, "Now for the reason why I'm here is because I have a handshake event in about four hours."

Nico cuddles the camera, "I know I know that almost all of you can't be here but that's why I'm recording this. I'll make sure my precious fans can get the best of this moment. So without further ado, let's explore."

.

.

"Oh wow look at all these cutie maids. I wonder if I look cute in one." Nico smiles at the camera, "Do you guys want to see me in one?"

.

.

"This arcade has sooo many games."

.

.

_Gasp_ "Look." The camera pans to a window filled with Nico's merchandise. "~It's me~"

.

.

_An hour before the event_

Nico, Eli, and Nozomi are in a backroom with Rin and Umi guarding the outside. The idol sits still as the artists apply make-up. Just as Nico's eyes were done, Eli voices a comment, "You did really well when you recorded yourself."

"Really?"

Nozomi nodded as the artist made their finishing touches. "Yup it seemed like you were a real natural Nicocchi."

"I mean I just imagined I was talking to the fans directly." Nico looks at the mirror for a while and nods at the artist, "Thank you."

_Knock_

They look as the door opens and Umi's head pop through the opening. "The event is soon to start."

Nico picks up the camera and walks to the door with Eli and Nozomi. "Let's do this."

.

_At the booth_

_Whistle_ "Look at that long line." Nico looks at the crowd of people waiting for her; she waves to the crowd and her fans go wild.

"Whoo! It's Nico!"

"Nico!"

Nico watches as the staff tries to being order back to the lines. With order returning to the masses, Nico places the camera on the table and angles it so only Nico's side can be seen, "Hey so we're at the stadium and sorry if you can't see much of the event." Nico smiles and poses, "But that means you get to see more of me."

The idol looks around to see where her guards position themselves. She first sees Umi and Rin near the front to manage the line. Eli and Nozomi are slightly behind Nico; far enough so they won't intimidate the fans but close enough to react should anyone try anything.

Just as the clock strike a new hour, a voice comes through the speakers, "And Nico-Nii's handshake event has begun! Please move in an orderly fashion."

Umi and Rin usher her fans one-by-one so they can meet Nico; she smiles and exchange greetings with everyone. It was at the half-way mark when one of the fans pulls Nico into a hug, "Thank you for being the best Nico!"

While surprised, Nico was quick to adapt and hugs the fan back, "Thank you for all of your support." Nico smoothly pulls back and the fan gives one last wave before leaving. The idol takes a quick look behind her, _'Huh. Did Eli and Nozi come closer?'_ But Nico did not have the time to ponder as the next fan came.

.

"Phew!" Nico sinks into the chair as soon as she got into the car, "That was exhausting." The rest of the guards piled in and Nico hands the camera to Rin, "Here. I'm sure Hanayo knows what to do."

Rin puts away her phone and nods at Nico, "You got it."

Nico looks at Eli, "Let's go home."

.

. . . . . . . . .

.

_Game show studio_

"Hey Nico-Niis," The screen shows Nico sitting on a chair, "It's been a couple of weeks but I'm back and I'm about to go into a game show. Now for those who don't know what it is," Nico puts her hand up as if she was holding something. "Hanayo edit this part and put something about game shows."

Nico waits for a few seconds before she starts again, "Now that you got the gist of it," The idol places her hand on her heart, "Your Number 1 Idol has been invited into a game-show."

_Knock Knock_

"Nico are you ready?"

Nico looks at the door, "In a bit." Nico looks back at the camera, "Now I don't know if I can upload the full episode but I'll see if I can show my parts. Wish me luck and I'll see you soon." Nico covers the screen and waits for a few seconds, "Hanayo edit a montage in."

The idol turns off the camera just as the door opens and Eli steps through, "Nico the show is about to start."

"Yeah I just finished." Nico hops off the chair and walks toward the door. The blonde makes way for Nico and they both exit the room. The idol looks around to see the rest of her guards standing in the hallway. "Right let's get this started." The idol notices Rin putting her phone in her pocket, _'She's been on her phone a lot lately.'_ But she shakes her head and starts walking.

As they walk to the stage, Nico looks at Nozomi. "Hey Nozi." The guard looks back and the idol hold out the camera, "Can you hold this for me? I got a feeling I'm not walking out of this dry."

Nozomi smiles and takes the camera, "Of course Nicocchi. Do you want me to record you?"

"Hmm," Nico purses her lips for a moment but she shakes her head, "Nah. I'll ask the manager for the video."

"Alright."

Rin and Nozomi open the door for the rest of the party to enter inside. Nico looks around the area, _'This is a pretty big studio.'_ In the middle of the studio there is a large stage with cameras stationed in various angles. One side of the stage is filled with audiences while the other side has several people seated; there is one empty seat left. _'Probably my seat.'_

The idol looks to the side to see men and women in suits standing all stiff. _'More private security.'_ She shrugs and turns to her party, "Well I'm off."

Umi nods, "Good luck."

Rin does a fist pump, "You got this nya~"

Nozomi grins, "Shine the world Nicocchi."

Eli smiles, "Show them why you're Number 1."

Nico flips one of her twin-tails, "Of course." She makes her way to her seat and greets her fellow celebrities along the way. When the idol reaches her seat, she spots her name on a small plaque, _'Oh how nice.'_ She takes her seat and waits for the show to begin.

She didn't have to wait long as music starts playing around them. After several seconds a tile from the floor flew in front of Nico; the idol had to use every muscle not to jump, _'Holy fuck!'_ She leans down to see a lady in an outlandish suit with a top hat climbing out of the hole, _'Who the hell is that?'_

Once the woman got out of the hole, she struck a pose and all the lights focused on her figure, "Welcome to The Most Extreme Live Modern Absolute Fun Spectacular Game Show!" The crowd claps and cheers as the lady bows, "And I am you host, Mitsuha Tachibana!"

_'Holy shit what did I get myself into?'_ Nico idly plays with the corner of her dress.

Mitsuha turns around and smiles, "Well would you like at these fine people today." She walks to the end of the table opposite of Nico, "Let's have a small introduction so everyone at home knows who you are."

As the celebrities introduce themselves, Nico is having an internal battle, _'Crap! How should I go about this?'_ Nico looks to the side to see Mitsuha halfway there. _'Think! Think!'_

"And what's you name my lovely?"

Nico's head snap to see the host in front of her face. _'Ah fuck it.'_ Nico jumps out of her seat and goes through her signature gestures, "Nico-Nico-Nii! I'll Nico-Nii your heart! I'm the Number 1 Idol Nico Yazawa and I'll put a smile in everyone's hearts!" Nico ends it with her signature pose.

The studio goes silent as everyone just stares at the declaration. But then several people in the audience start cheering, "Yeah go Nico!" This prompts the rest of the crow to join in.

Mitsuha recovers and genuinely smiles, "What a great impression Nico." She waves her hand at the audience, "And you have some of your fans here with you." The host looks at the camera, "I'm sure everyone at home will remember you now."

Once Nico sits down, she smiles and waves at the camera, _'Fuck Yeah!'_ Then Mitsuha asks generic questions and the celebrities answer them.

After twenty or so minutes, Mitsuha makes an announcement, "And with all that done let's play!" The crowd claps for this segment, "Our first game is Human Tetris!" She spins around to grin at the guests, "Any vict— volunteers?"

Nico looks to her side to see on one rising to the challenge. _'Welp, might as well get this over with.'_ Nico raises her hand.

Mitsuha's eyes sparkles, "Ah Nico so great of you to volunteer. Do you want change so you clothes won't get wet?"

_5 minutes later..._

Wearing a grey dive-suit, Nico stands in an open area with a pool of water behind her. She turns as Mitsuha explains the game to the audience. "For this game there will be a sequence of walls that will push the player into the water. Now each wall has a specific-shaped hole for the player to pass through in order to get pass said wall and not fall in the water. Now let's see if Nico is in _shape_ to play this game."

Nico hears a collective groan but she focuses on the game.

Mitsuha continues on, "Are you ready?"

"3."

"2."

"1."

"Go!"

A wall appears and there is a shape of someone crouching down. _'Oh this one is easy.'_

The next wall has the shape of someone holding their left leg near their head, _'Oh shit.'_ But thanks to Nico's dancing and flexibility she passes that one

Another wall comes with a figure of someone doing the splits with their arms reaching for the skies. _'Oh fuck how am I going to do this?'_ The wall slides closer to Nico, _'Wait would this work?'_ Nico goes prone and waits for the wall; she can feel it grazing her back but she passes the wall.

Nico hears some of the crowd groaning as she stands up from the floor. Mitsuha is quick to mollify the masses, "Now now the rules did not state that the player has to imitate the shape. And besides..." Mitsuha's smile turns mischievous, "There are plenty of chances later on."

_'Well fuck.'_

.

_Four hours later..._

.

"Urghh..." Nico leans back on the couch with a towel draped over face. "I want to go home and take a nice and long bath."

Eli's voice filters through the towel, "Are all game shows like this?"

Nico waves her hand in the general direction of Eli's voice, "Who knows? I really hope this is my last one." She feels something poking her shoulder and so she takes off the towel to see Nozomi.

The guard offers the camera, "Here Nicocchi."

Nico accepts the camera, "Thanks." She just holds on it, _'Oh right the video... what should I say?'_ After moments of thinking, Nico turns the camera toward her face and turns it on. "Hey guys. That was pretty crazy right? I had fun playing all of these games and I like the host. Well that's that and I'll see you guys next time. Nico-Nii out!"

.

. . . . . . . . .

.

_Office_

"We got some bad news Nico."

That's not something the idol wants to hear in the morning. Nico walks over and sits on the chair, "What's going on Ryu?"

"Some of the investors are planning to pull out."

Nico jumps up, "What!? I thought I made a difference."

"And you did." Ryu placates, "But it's not enough for one of them."

"One?" Eli stands by Nico, "You made it sound like several were planning to drop out."

Ryu sighs, "The problem is that this investor has a lot of influence among the group. If he leaves it will cause a domino effect and others will follow."

Nico paces back and forth, "You've got to be shitting me." Nico bites her thumb and then sees Rin on her phone. "Rin. What are you doing?"

When all eyes land on the rookie guard, Rin gestures frantically with her hands. "Ah this is really important Nico. Please understand this is for you—

_Ding_

Rin looks down at her phone and grins, "Yes! Right on time."

Umi has her arms crossed and her finger tapping her arm. "Rin."

That jolts Rin, "Ah right." She jumps on the remote and turns on the TV.

The screen shows many reporters and Maki standing in front of her hospital. One of the reporters raises their hand, "Why did you sponsor Nico?"

Maki -stone-faced as ever- replies, "No comment."

Another reporter raises their hand, "Are there any relationships between idols and the medical field?"

"No comment. Now are there any more questions?" She doesn't wait, "Good I have work to do." The redhead walks into her hospital while someone else stands in her place.

The screen turns off and Nico leans closer to Rin, "...Why?" She looks back to make sure Ryu doesn't hear their whispering.

"Well I told Hanayo and Maki about your situation and Maki wanted to do something about. I mean you've done so much for us that we felt this was out chance to help." Rin's eyes stare down the floor, "I'm sorry for not telling you."

"No no no. You did great Rin." Nico smiles and puts her hand on Rin's shoulder, "Thank you for helping me."

Rin looks back at Nico and smiles softly.

_Ring Ring_

Nico and her guards look in the direction of Ryu with his phone near his ear. "Hello? Um-hm. Hm. I see." Ryu turns off his phone and looks at Nico, "The investor is not pulling out."

"Yes!" Nico pumps her hands at the news._ 'I'm going to spoil these cuties.'_

"If you don't mind me asking, how do you know Maki Nishikino?"

"Hmm? Oh uh..." Nico tries not to look at Rin, "I mean who _doesn't_ know the Number 1 Idol. I'm sure she's a fan or something."

Ryu stays silent for a while, "...I see..." Ryu starts typing his keyboard, "With our newest sponsor, we now have many options opened for us."

Nico taps her chin, "Hmmm..." She looks at each of her guards in turn. _'Oh this might be crazy.'_ The idol grins and looks back at Ryu, "Let's have a concert in America."

* * *

* * *

**.**

**And fin.**

**Well well that is very daring of you Nico.**

**Notes:**

**-Nico is going to be a star over the internet.**

**-bizarre game show is bizarre.**

**-Maki can solve almost anything with moneyyyy.**

**Now the Japan arc is quickly coming to an end and the US arc ready in my mind. So I'll see you all next week.**

**Thanks for reading**

**Constructive criticisms are appreciated **

**Bravo Tango out.**


	15. Organize

**Back at it again. **

"Blah" — Speech

"Blah" — Speech in another language

_'Blah' _— Thoughts

[ Blah ] — Text

*_Blah_* — Sound effects in speech

(**_Blah_**) — Author's notes

**Disclaimer: I do not own any characters of Love Live! School Idol Project. This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author's imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.**

* * *

* * *

_Organizing for the West_

_Tick_

_Tock_

"WHAT!?"

Nico jumps at the sudden noise around her, "Whoa."

Umi is the first one to recover, "Why do you want to hold a concert in the US?"

Nico shrugs, "Why not? I want to show my love to my international fans and with Ma— Nishikino's sponsorship, we can do it."

"It was bound to happen." Nozomi sighs dramatically, "Nicocchi won't be satisfied being Number 1 in _just_ Japan."

Nico gives the guard a cheeky grin.

"Okay," Ryu folds his hands, "Where would you want it to be held?"

"Hmmm," Nico holds her chin as she thinks of where to hold the concert. The idol grins, "Los Angeles. Oh and I want it to be big."

Umi pinches the bridge of her nose while Ryu audibly inhales. "That's quite a big order."

Nico is quick to mollify them, "I don't want it soon. Take your time to plan things out."

Ryu is silent for some time as he mulls over the situation. After a period of silence, he finally speaks, "Can you give me some time?"

Nico raises her hands, "Like I said, take all the time you need." Nico turns to Umi, "How about you girls?"

Umi places her arms back to her sides, "I would have to talk to Honoka about this."

Nico's eyes go wide and she snaps her fingers, "Oh invite everyone to my house. I'll make food and we can talk about it there."

Umi takes a few moments to consider before nodding to the plan. She takes her phone out, "Okay."

Nico slides over to Rin and whispers, "Can you ask Maki if she can leave work early?"

"I can try."

Nico gives a thumbs-up and turns around to face everyone, "Well let's go grocery shopping so I can start cooking early." As they walk out of the office Nico turns her head toward to Ryu, "Call me if there are any updates?"

Ryu is back to his computer, "Will do."

As the crew walks to the car, Nico had a thought, "Has your company gone international before?"

Eli answers, "Sometimes but never like this."

Nico grins at that, "Good to know I'll be your first to set the new standard.

.

. . . . . . . . .

.

_Home_

_Thump_

"I'll see you later tonight." Nico waves as Umi pulls the car away from the driveway. As the car disappears from the corner Nico turns to the remaining guards and raises the plastic bags in her hands, "Let's cook."

_Kitchen_

"Eli start beating the ground beef."

"Got it."

"Nozomi get the food mill in that drawer over there. Once you find it help me cut the tomatoes."

"Alright Nico—" Nozomi pauses at the last part, "Are you sure?" Even Eli stops and stares back at the idol.

Nico just realized what she said but she continues on, "Yes I'm sure." She claps her hands, "Now Chop chop! The spaghetti isn't going to make itself." _'Can't back out when everyone is coming over.'_

The guards work on their part as Nico plops the tomatoes in a bowl and places it inside the sink. The idol rinses her hands first and then tomatoes. After that, she takes out two cutting boards and places them on the countertop.

"Here Nicocchi." Nozomi is by her side with a food mill in her arms.

"Ah place it there with a pot." Nico points at the empty area of the countertop. As the purple-haired guard sets the tools down, Nico drains the bow and places it in between them. "Let's start." Nico picks up a tomato and reaches for the knife; she hesitates but the idol takes a deep breath and pulls out the knife. _'You can do it.'_ Nico takes her time to cut the tomatoes into little chunks while Nozomi follows Nico actions.

As they are cutting, Nico turns to Eli, "Can you put a wide stove pot on top of the oven?"

The blonde stops beating the meat, "Sure Nico."

In five minutes the duo finishes cutting up all of the tomatoes. "Alright." Nico dumps the chopped pieces into the stove and sets the heat to simmer.

As they wait, Nozomi speaks up, "Why do you want to hold a concert over in the US Nicocchi?"

Nico turns her head, "Hmm?" But she looks back at the stove, "I thought I told you."

"We heard it but what's the _real_ reason?"

Nico stares at the pot as it simmers and the tomatoes start to break down. She plucks a spatula and swirls the tomatoes inside. She sighs as she answers them, "While having a concert for my fans is a part of the reason of going international..." Nico turns off the oven and picks up the stove pot to dump the contents in the food mill. She puts the pot back on the stove and returns to the food mill.

The idol grips the handle and cranks the lever to strain the tomatoes. "I want to get out of Japan." She looks back to see their raised eyebrows and elaborates, "All of my life I've lived here and not once have I went outside of Japan." Nico shrugs as the sauce fills up the pot. "It happens when you're so focused on becoming the Number 1 Idol. I want to explore and experience new places and people. I want to see what their culture is like."

Once done with the food mill the idol pours the sauce onto multiple metal trays. "That's why I'm hoping Ryu can pull this off," Nico places the trays into the oven and sets the temperature at low heat. She turns to Eli and Nozomi, "I can meet my fans and experience a new world."

Nozomi nods at the answer, "I see."

Eli nods as well, "I understand Nico. Before I settled here in Japan I would travel to other countries like the US and Hong Kong. It was truly an amazing experience there."

"Oi," Nico lightly punches Eli's shoulder, "You're making me jealous." All of them chuckle at that. "Right. Let's finish this on time."

.

_Evening_

_Bzzt_

Nico looks at her phone to see a message from Honoka: [ Hey we're coming to your house in 20 min. ]

She pockets her phone and pokes her head out of the kitchen door to see Eli and Nozomi sitting on couch. "Heyyy." They turn to Nico. "They're coming in about 20 so let's set the table up."

"Alright / Okay Nicocchi." They walk over to the dining table.

Nico opens a drawer and picks up a stack of plates and looks over her shoulder, "The table should be able to extend so look under the cover."

It seems they found the feature since Nico hears Nozomi's voice, "...Ohhh that's neat."

With everything secured, Nico walks to the dining area to see the rectangular table longer than before. She sets plates down and counts the chairs. _'Shoot we're one chair short.'_ The idol turns to the blonde, "Eli there should be an extra chair in the garage."

Eli nods, "Got it." She walks to the garage.

Nico places the dishes and utensils on the area that is in front of the chairs. Just as she finished setting them down, Nico sees Eli coming in with a chair; she points it to the space at the end of the table, "Right there should be good." The blonde places the extra chair as instructed.

Nozomi takes out her phone for a moment and then looks up, "They're here Nicocchi."

"Nice." Nico claps her hands, "Can you two get some drinks?" They both nod and walk to the kitchen while Nico makes her way to the front door. She reaches over and opens the door to see everyone from the company plus Maki. "Heyyy."

"Hey Nico."

"Yo Nico."

"Hello Nico."

"Hi Nico."

"Good evening."

"Thank you for having us."

Nico waves them in, "Come in." They come inside the house and take off their shoes. After that they follow Nico as the idol leads them to the dining table, "My special idol food is ready and hot." She looks over her shoulder and grins, "Just like me." They chuckle as they take their seats. Nico notes that the glasses are filled with drinks and so she gives a thumbs up-to the duo.

After pushing her chair in, Honoka looks at Nico, "So what's today's menu?"

Nico grins, "Spaghetti." She then raises her eyebrow when Maki's eyes widen. _'The heck is that about?'_ "Anyway food will be out soon." With the help of Eli and Nozomi, Nico pours the steaming pasta on everyone's plate. Making sure everything is in place, Nico then clears her throat, "Everyone." She has their attention, "I would like to honor this dinner to everyone." Nico nods at the doctor, "Especially you Maki. Because of what you did you saved my career. Thank you."

"Yay go Maki!" Everyone claps for the doctor.

Maki's cheeks match her hair color, "It's nothing."

"With that out of the way," Nico sits down at the end of the table. "Let's eat." And so everyone begins eating and talking. In the middle of dinner the idol notes that Maki's eating style is a little... aggressive. She leans to her right and whispers to Hanayo, "Does Maki like spaghetti or something?"

"Hmm?" Hanayo looks to Maki and back to the idol, "Oh she really loves tomatoes so she would love spaghetti as well."

"Ohhh. That's nice to know." Nico goes back to eating.

_40 minutes later..._

With the help of Eli and Nozomi, they cleaned the dishes and letting them dry. Nico walks toward the living room while patting her stomach, "Ahhh that hit the spot." She sees Maki, Rin, and Hanayo on the big couch. Kotori and Honoka are sitting on the smaller couch while Umi is leaning against said couch. "Right." Nico stands in front of the TV, "I'm sure Umi and Rin told you about today so I'm going to ask you..." She looks at everyone, "Will you go with me to America?"

"It's not our first time going overseas," Honoka states as she gets up and stands in front of Nico. "But never like this. Especially on this scale." The president then smiles, "Buuut there's a first time in everything." She holds her hand, "I've talked with everyone and we agreed to help you."

Nico smiles and accepts the handshake, "Thank you." But her mind does a back track, "Everyone?"

Honoka's eyes flicker to Eli and Nozomi before going back to Nico; she smiles and whispers, "I _know_ they would help you for sure."

Nico's cheeks turn pink but she fights it down. _'Damn it.'_

"So we have a few plans if your manager convinces the investors to go through with the concert." Honoka tilts her head toward the bigger couch, "Then again I'm sure Maki here can pay it by herself."

Maki shrugs, "I guess."

Nico shakes her head at the doctor's nonchalant gesture. _'Jeez.'_ "So what's the plan?"

"I have a few contacts in the US that can help us with licenses, certificates, a temporary base, and other things."

Nico nods at how much they prepared for this, "That's cool."

Umi joins in, "Another plan is that the two of us travel to the US ahead of schedule." Seeing Nico's confused stare Umi elaborates, "International security agents must pass a test to earn a certificate that allows us to perform our job and in certain countries carry firearms."

"But why two?"

"This option cuts our manpower only in half rather than all of it. The two who went ahead can guard you while the rest of us can take the tests for the certificate." Umi shrugs, "Another option is to hire guards native to the country but I wouldn't recommend it."

"Hmmm." Nico taps her finger on her chin before shrugging her shoulders, "I guess."

Eli finally joins in the conversation, "So what kind of certificates are we looking for?"

Everyone from Muse huddle close to talk about which certificates to look for in the US. Nico looks over to see Maki leaning back on the couch; Rin and Hanayo got up from their seat to join with the Muse group. The idol slides over to the seat next to the doctor, "Yo."

"Hey."

"Thanks again for sponsoring me Maki."

Maki shrugs, "It's no problem."

"If you want anything let me know."

Maki shakes her head, "You don't have to."

Nico smirks and takes out her phone, "You sure?" The idol shows Maki a picture of Rin in a cute dress.

Maki's eyes go wide but she averts them and starts to twirl a lock of her hair, "How did you get that?"

"Me n' Kotori were trying out some dresses and I persuaded Rin to join us." Nico shrugs, "If you don't want it that's okay."

"Wait." Maki slowly pulls out her phone.

Nico grins as they exchanged numbers so Nico can send the picture over to Maki. "You know, I could get more pictures with Rin and Hanayo in cute or sexy dresses."

Maki goes silent at the tempting offer. After a few moments Maki finally mutters, "...Please do."

"Thank you for your patronage." Nico leans back and watches the girls discuss their plans for America. "Oh," She turns back to Maki, "Since you're sponsoring me do you want your logo on my costume?"

.

. . . . . . . . .

.

_Producer Office_

_Several days after dinner_

Nico is the first to enter the room followed by her usual crew but this time Honoka and Hanayo joins the party. "Hey Ryu what's the news?"

The man looks up, "Ah Nico." He looks over to newest additions, "Hello Honoka and you must be Hanayo."

"Yo / Hello." They wave at the manager.

Ryu looks back at the idol, "Good news Nico. The investors are on board for the US concert."

"YES!" Nico pumps her fists into the air. She turns around to high-five or fist-bump her friends.

After the mini-celebration Honoka steps close to Ryu, "Since it's a go, we have some plans that we should talk about." Ryu nods.

Just as Nico was about to join in, she feels a tap on her shoulder; she looks behind her to see Eli and Nozomi standing there. The idol turns around and steps closer to them, "What's up?"

The duo shares a look before Eli steps forward, "Since the concert is approved, we decided that we should the first to go."

Nico feels a knot in her stomach, "What? Why?"

This time Nozomi answers Nico, "We want to be the first ones to be there for you Nicocchi. With all the training and certificates done, we can show new places to you."

"I..." The explanation calms Nico somewhat, "Alright. But you better show me the best places over there."

Eli smiles and nods, "Of course."

Nico sighs and hugs the both of them, "I'll miss you two."

They return the hug, "Ditto for us Nicocchi." They separate and join the others in organizing a plan for the concert.

**.**

* * *

* * *

**And fin.**

**welll shoot... oh well "Operation Take America" is a go. We are very close to the end of this arc and I'm getting excited. See ya next week.**

**Also Happy Belated Birthday Nozomi; sorry I forgot about it.**

**Thanks for reading **

**Constructive criticisms are appreciated**

**Bravo Tango out.**


	16. Westbound

**Hello again to another chapter.**

"Blah" — Speech

"Blah" — Speech in another language

_'Blah' _— Thoughts

[ Blah ] — Text

*_Blah_* — Sound effects in speech

(**_Blah_**) — Author's notes

**Disclaimer: I do not own any characters of Love Live! School Idol Project. This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author's imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.**

* * *

* * *

_Westbound_

_Ring_

_Ring_

_Ri— Plop_

Nico rubs her eyes as she slowly rises up from her bed. She yawns into her hands as she picks up her phone. _'It's been four days huh...'_ Nico flops back into her bed, _'So bored.'_ So far Ryu and the others have been busy negotiating and trying to secure a stadium in LA; Hanayo also suggested making deals with hotels and other business around the area.

_'Some of my fans here can airbnb with the native fans,'_ Nico heaves a sigh and gets up from, _'Might as well start the day.'_ The idol walks down the stairs and into the kitchen; she takes a carton of juice from the fridge and pours herself a drink. She takes a sip and then sets up her phone on the counter. She hits the dial button and waits for the call.

"Hi Nico." Eli's face appears on her phone.

"Hey Eli." Nico sits down a chair.

"Did you just wake up?"

"Yeah. What are you two doing today?"

Eli places the phone down and angles it up to her face, "We finished one of the tests and Nozomi wanted to try some of the foods here."

Nico picks up the phone and relocates to the couch, "Congrats." She shakes her head at the second part, "Nozi probably bought something that has a lot of meat."

"Excuse me." Nozomi appears by Eli's side with two plates of food and sits down. "A lady must have her nutrition."

Nico scoffs, "Most people don't eat tons of meat."

Nozomi gasps dramatically and puts her hand over her chest, "But they're so delicious."

Nico grins, "And that's why you'll always be a Nozi eater to me." She waits until they're done laughing, "So what are you two going to do for the rest of the day?"

Eli grabs a fork and picks up a piece of beef, "We're most likely go over the stadium and talk with Honoka's contacts."

"Cool."

"So what about you?"

"Not much. Ryu, Honoka, and the others are busy negotiating so I don't have much to do."

Nozomi chuckles, "I can see that with your clothes."

Nico looks down and shrugs, "Ehh."

_Knock knock_

"Oiii Nico."

Eli presses her face closer to the phone, "Who's that?"

Nico looks at the door before looking back at her phone, "Oh it's Honoka. But she's very early. Anyway I'm probably going to go soon so enjoy your meal."

"We will / Nozomi don't talk when chewing."

Nico chuckles, "I'll see you later."

"See you later / Bye Nicocchi." _Click_

_Knock Knock_

"Hold up Honoka." Nico walks to the front door and open it, "What are you doing so early in the morning?" Nico looks behind the ginger to see the SUV with Umi and Rin nearby.

"Got some info so we gotta go."

"What is it?"

"It'll be better to tell everyone."

Nico sighs and points her clothes, "Give me some time to change yeah?"

.

. . . . . . . . . . .

.

_Office_

"Alright so what you got Honoka?"

The CEO tilts her head to Ryu, "My news can wait."

The manager nods at Honoka before looking at Nico, "With the help of Honoka, we were able to quickly secure a stadium."

"Nice!"

Ryu continues on, "And we also made some deals with the surrounding hotels for your fans."

"Double nice. So when's the concert?"

"In about a month and a half. For tomorrow and the following week you'll be doing promotional videos here so your native fans know where you will be. After that most of the heavy-lifting will be done when we travel to the US."

"Sounds good."

Honoka jumps in, "Guess it's my turn." With all the attention on her she continues, "My friends over at the US say that the government wants to be involved in this event."

"Our government wants take the opportunity as well," Umi adds.

Nico straightens her back, "What?"

Honoka elaborates, "They want your concert to bridge the gap between the two countries."

"Holy crap..." The idol mutters, "Why me? I'm sure there were other events before mine."

"This is the biggest event that is hosted by an international celebrity. Not only that, the media will be covering your concert."

Nico looks at Ryu who nods back, "The media here will also be covering your event."

Nico chews the bottom of her lip. _'This is bigger than I thought.'_ She looks around to see everyone starting at her; she smiles and gives a victory sign, "Would you look at that? Even the government wants to be a fan of the Number 1 Idol." Umi almost face-palms while the rest chuckles. "Is there anything else?"

Honoka shakes her head, "Nope."

"Alrighty then," Nico sits down on a couch, "Let's see on what I should say to my fans."

.

. . . . . . . . . . .

.

_The next day..._

_Park meetup location_

Nico waves at the director, "Hey Ken. It's been a long time."

Ken waves back, "It's good to see you Nico. Are you ready?"

Nico smiles, "Of course."

He points to a trailer, "The dressing room is that way and we'll be ready to shoot in about 40."

"Alright," Nico waves and walks off to change.

_40 minutes later..._

Nico stands in front of the camera with a view of a lake behind the idol. Ken holds up his hand and starts the countdown.

_5_

_4_

_3_

_2_

_1_

"Nico-Nico-Nii!" The idol performs her signature pose. "Hey my Nico-Nii's how are you doing today? I hope it's great because it's going to be even greater with this announcement. In about a month and a half I will be holding a concert in Los Angeles the US of A." Nico gestures her hands to placate the invisible audience, "Now let me be clear, I am not abandoning you guys. But it's also unfair to ignore my Nii's from across the sea."

Nico begins walking with the camera following her, "And so with the help of a few companies, they will stream my LA concert here in a different stadium. Now this stream will be only viewed in this stadium and nowhere else. Because of that, the tickets will be a lot cheaper than usual. Now if want to follow me to LA, You can go to the website for more details and there will be someone to answer your questions."

Nico stops and smiles at the camera, "This will be my first international concert and I want to thank all of you. You are the ones who made this possible for me and so with all of my heart, Thank you." Nico poses again, "The next time you'll see me will be at LA. Nico-Nico-Nii!"

"And cut! That was great Nico." The crew starts packing up their gear.

The idol sighs, "Phew."

Umi and Rin walk over with the ginger offering a towel, "That was great Nico."

The veteran offers a bottle, "A great speech."

Nico accepts the towel and water, "Thanks."

Umi looks at the time, "We should go so we can get ready to film for your channel tomorrow."

"Take me away my knights."

.

. . . . . . . . . . .

.

_Tomorrow_

_Near Muse office building_

Nico takes a look around the area before settling on Rin who is holding a camera, "Ready?"

Umi holds up big rectangular cards and Rin gives a thumbs-up, "Yup."

She takes a deep breath and then does her pose, "Nico-Nico-Nii! How are my Nii's doing this fine day? So I got a big announcement to make..." Nico pauses for effect, "I'm having a concert in Los Angeles Yayyy! Now I'll be performing in about a month so be sure to check my website for more info and tickets. I also made deals with the hotels around the area so you guys and gals can get a discount on the rooms. Not only that, I know some of my fans from Japan will come with me so you guys can meet and mingle together."

The idol pauses and takes a peek at the cards, "Now this will be my first time performing outside of Japan and I'm very excited to meet you guys so be sure to share this with all of your friends." Nico smiles and waves at the camera, "Nico-Nii out."

Rin turns off the camera, "That was really good Nico."

Umi nods, "Your English has improved significantly better."

"Thanks." Nico turns to Umi, "Any other plans for today?"

Umi tucks the cards under her arm and shakes her head, "The rest of the week we will be busy planning and packing."

"Alright." Nico takes her phone out and quickly types out a text. After a few seconds, she looks at Rin, "Let's go to Hanayo to give her the video."

_Inside_

It took only a few moments and both of them are already in front of Hanayo's work office; the plaque near the door read: _Server Room._ Rin opens the door and walks inside. "Kayo-chin!"

Surprisingly the room is well-lit with tall boxes of machines neatly organized on one side of the wall. _'Thought it would be darker.'_ In the middle there is Hanayo sitting in front of three monitors. _'That is a lot of screens.'_

Hanayo swivels her chair around to greet the newcomers, "Ah Rin. Nico."

Nico waves back, "Hey Hanayo."

Rin skips over and places the camera on the table, "We finished filming today."

"Oh good." The techie plugs the camera into the computer and does her thing.

Nico waits a few moments before taking a step forward, "Will it take a lot time to edit the videos?"

Hanayo turns back, "It'll take some time to render but since the video is short there isn't much to edit."

"Good," Nico takes both Rin and Hanayo hands and pulls them toward the door. "Let's go somewhere."

"Eh?" Hanayo looks back at her computer, "But the video..."

"Can wait." Nico keeps walking, "Let's have some fun."

_Armor Design_

"What are we doing here Nico?"

Nico grins while Kotori pushes a rack of clothes, "To have you girls try out some dresses."

"Eh?" Rin looks at Kotori, "How were you prepared for this?"

Kotori smiles, "Nico texted me earlier and I was simply excited you see you two in different clothes."

Hanayo looks down at her clothes before looking up again, "But these seem fine."

"Live a little." Nico walks closer to them and whispers, "And besides, don't you want to excite Maki?"

Rin and Hanayo both look at each other and must have some kind of mental conversation. A few moments pass by and they look back at Nico, "We'll do it."

.

"Yeah Rin you look great in that dress!"

.

"That dress compliments your great body Hanayo!"

.

"Now hug together!"

.

_Two hours later..._

"Phew." Nico wipes some sweat for her forehead while Rin and Hanayo are on the ground tired from playing dress-up. The idol tucks her phone and high-fives the designer. "Thanks Kotori."

"No _thank_ you Nico." Kotori smiles and takes out her sketchbook, "This gave me a few ideas for new designs."

Nico chuckles and shakes her head. She looks at the prone ladies, "You girls hungry? My treat."

"Yes!"

.

. . . . . . . . . . .

.

_Four days later..._

_Airport_

Nico stares at the lone jet in front of her that has a Nishikino logo on its side. She shakes her head, "Loaning this to us? She's totally ridiculous."

Honoka pats the idol's shoulder, "Just enjoy it Nico. This jet will probably get us to LA in less than ten hours." She goes to the side to have a chat with Umi.

Nico looks around to see everyone from the company and Ryu packed and ready. _'Looks like everyone is here.'_ She adjusts the strap of her backpack and starts walking up the stairs, _'Let's do this.'_ Once she is at the top, she turns around and cups her hands around her mouth, "Oiiii! Let's go."

_Hours later..._

"Oh my goodness sweet land." Nico puts her hands on her hips and takes a breath of US air. She looks around to see the sun is still up.

Honoka nudges Nico, "It'll get better once you're used to it."

Nico looks down to see four men in business suits drive up to them in three miniature vehicles. Almost on instinct Umi, Rin, and Honoka subtlety placed themselves in front of the group. One of the men steps out of his car walks forward with his hand out, "Hello my name is John Smith and we are tasked to escort you Miss Yazawa."

Nico looks at Honoka and the CEO leans in, "They were sent by the government."

"No wonder their Japanese is good." But she raises her eyebrow, "But why does it look like you're going to beat each other?"

Honoka shrugs, "Force of habit."

Nico waits a few tense seconds before slowly walking forward and accepting handshake, "Nice to meet you John and please call me Nico."

John nods, "Of course Nico." He points at the side of the airport, "Right this way please."

Nico tilts her head, "Why not go through the front?"

"Unfortunately the paparazzi are waiting there and we would rather avoid that."

"Oh," Nico looks at the other guards and they shrug. "Okay." The group picks up their luggage and got in the cars. Once secured the group drives to the side of the location. Nico watches as they pass by commercial airplanes and the airport building becomes bigger than before. They finally reach their location as the side entrance becomes visible.

The cars stops and the group get off and picks up their luggage. John opens the door and his three companions walk in first, "Right this way. With luck the paparazzi will be too focused on the front entrance." Nico and her crew walk through and no one has seen them so far.

They exit the airport and Nico looks to the side to see a throng of people crowding the front entrance. _'Holy shit.'_ Nico turns back to see John placing a finger on his lips and they slowly walk forward.

Unfortunately one of paparazzi spotted them, "Hey there's the idol Nico!" The idol shivers as hundreds of eyes turn to them.

"Shit." John places a finger on his earbud, "Plan B!"

The horde of cameras surges forward to get a piece of Nico Yazawa.

Then two black SUVs speeds up to the street and stops near them. The first car's backseat door opens, "Get inside Nicocchi!"

"Nozi!?" Nico runs to the car with Rin and Umi following her; the rest goes to the second car. The four men who escorted them took their luggage and threw them in the back of the cars. Nico jumps in with Rin behind her and she briefly sees Umi slides through the hood of the car.

Once inside Nico looks at the back to see John and the incoming crowd. The man gives a nod, "We'll see each other at a later time." He closes the trunk and thumps it twice.

The car speeds off as Nico watches the men disappear among the parking lot. Nico breathes a sigh and looks at the front; she smiles as she spots the yellow ponytail, "Eli!"

The idol sees the blonde smile in the rear view mirror, "Hello Nico."

Nico leans back on the seat and looks at the purplette, "I just got off the plane and they swarmed me."

Nozomi smiles, "Welcome to America."

* * *

* * *

**.**

**And Fin.**

**Some notes: **

**-Yay Nico's English skill is paying off.**

**So by the time this is uploaded, summer school is about to start. I'll need to get through the first two weeks to see if it's possible to write a story. If it comes to it, I will still update this story albeit very slowly.**

**Until next time Nico-Niis.**

**Thanks for reading **

**Constructive criticisms are appreciated**

**Bravo Tango out.**


	17. Westcoast

**Heyy sorry for the delay.**

"Blah" — Speech

"Blah" — Speech in another language

_'Blah' _— Thoughts

[ Blah ] — Text

*_Blah_* — Sound effects in speech

(**_Blah_**) — Author's notes

**Disclaimer: I do not own any characters of Love Live! School Idol Project. This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author's imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.**

* * *

* * *

_Westcoast_

Nico steps out of the car and stretches her arms over her head. _'What a long ride.'_ She blinks and looks at the plain building in front of her. _'Where are we?'_

_Thump_

The idol turns around to see everyone else getting out of the car. She walks over to Eli, "Hey Eli where are we?"

The blonde turns around, "This is our office for the time being." She walks to the back of the car and opens the trunk. The rest of the guards followed after Eli and took their luggage.

Nico raises her eyebrow, "...Seriously?"

Nozomi walks by the idol and pats her shoulder, "Don't worry Nicocchi we're here first so we can drop some things off and meet up with John and his buddies."

Nico's eyes droop and she covers her mouth as she yawns, "Oh yeah?"

Nozomi giggled, "We can go to the hotel after the meeting. After that little event I'm sure jet lag is catching up to you."

Nico waves her hand, "Nah. I don't wanna mess up my beauty sleep schedule."

Eli chuckles she stops beside Nico; both of her hands are occupied with Hanayo's stuff, "Do you want to check inside while we wait for our liaisons?"

Nico takes a look to her right; there are some plain buildings. She takes a look to her left; _more_ plain buildings. The idol shrugs as takes a small box from Eli's hand and starts walking toward the building, "Eh might as well. Not I like I know anywhere fun around here." She stops to look back, "But you two better show me somewhere nice after this."

Nozomi smiles while Eli shakes her head, "Of course Nico."

.

_10 minutes later..._

_Inside_

"Wow it looks really similar to your office back at home." Nico sits down on a couch and enjoys the moment as she sinks into the cushion. _'Oh that feels so nice.'_

Nozomi breaks her trance as she takes a seat next to the idol, "One of the perks of having powerful backers like Maki."

After dropping off Hanayo's stuff Nozomi and Eli gave a tour of the office; it was more of walking in a similar building than exploring. _'It felt like deja vu.'_ Nico looks at the front to see Eli talking with Honoka, Rin, and Umi about something. She then looks at Nozomi, "So how's LA?"

"It's very interesting." Nozomi turns her torso toward Nico, "They have a lot of different things."

"Like?"

Nozomi leans in and covers a side of her mouth, "The way they make their food is absolutely delicious."

Nico playfully pushes Nozomi on her shoulder and scoff, "Of course you would think about food."

"But Nicocchi you have to try it. One of my new favorites is ribs. I like how they glaze the meat with barbecue sauce. How your teeth sinks into the warm tender flesh." Nozomi starts to have a dreamy look as she reminisce her experience.

Nico realizes she was drooling and quickly wipes it off. _'Holy crap. That does sound good.'_

Luckily Nico was saved from the hunger torment when Eli walks over them, "What's going on?"

Nico tries to act nonchalant and shrugs, "Not much. Just Nozi being a glutton."

"Hey!"

Nico ignores her, "So what were you talking about with the others?"

"Oh they wanted to know more about the seminars and the certificate programs."

"Ohhh."

"Ahhh," Nozomi sighs, "That was a lot of work." Nozomi then smiles, "But worth it since we get to be with you Nicocchi."

Nico's face heats up a bit, "O-Of course. No one can resist the Number 1 Idol."

Nozomi smiles and then looks at Eli with some kind of look. Eli looks exasperated but she takes a seat at the empty spot next to Nico.

"What's up?"

Eli and Nozomi then hug Nico.

"What the—" Nico jumps but instinctively wraps around Nozomi and Eli's waist. _'Did they pick this up here? I expected Nozi to do this, but Eli?'_

"We're sorry that you had to go through that on the first day." Eli murmurs near Nico's ear.

The idol tries not to shiver and gulps, "What? The crowd?"

"Mhm."

Nico tries to laugh it off, "It wasn't too bad. Nothing to worry about."

"It's our job to protect and worry about you Nicocchi." This time Nozomi talks, "I think we were too used to how thing go over in Japan."

"But you two did protect me." They pull back and Nico sees their faces, "You got us out of that mess."

Eli raises a finger, "But it shouldn't have happened in the first place."

"I trust you," Nico was quick to say that. She looks at Nozomi, "I trust you. I trust all of you because I'm confident that you can protect me." Nico gets up and turns around to look at them, "After all," Nico smiles, "Only the best can be with me."

A moment of silence and Eli sighs into her hand, "Why do I even worry."

Nico points a thumb at herself, "'Cause I'm here."

"Oh look."

Nico turns around to see Rin pointing at the front door; it's John and his buddies. She waves at them, "Yo. Looks like you guys made it out alive."

John nods at them, "Yes." He looks at Honoka, "Is everyone here?"

The CEO nods, "Yup."

"Then we can talk about the concert."

.

_Meeting Room_

With everyone settled down, Nico claps her hands, "So. What's the game plan?"

John takes out a piece of paper, "I have been talking to your manager and we've come with some promotional events for your concert."

Nico accepts the paper and takes a look; both of her eyebrows shoot up, "That's a lot." Nico points at something on the paper, "I'm going to the dance studio and having an interview tomorrow?"

Ryu steps toward Nico, "Your concert is in a month and we want to get as much publicity as possible. The schedule is going to be condensed but with their help I believe you can do it."

John nods, "We are willing spend the resources and help you Nico." He gestures to the paper, "The media outlet gave us a general list of questions they are going to ask you. We'll send it to your hotel later."

Nico looks over to Honoka who nods back, "We'll help anyway we can Nico."

Nico nods at Honoka and looks around, "Alright. Any other plans?"

.

_3 hours later..._

"Holy crap that was a lot." Nico feels some popping as she stretches her body. She looks back at the group, "How are y'all feeling?"

"We're good." Eli and Nozomi seem fine, but it seems the others are starting to nod off.

Nico feels like boulders are weighing her down. _'So sleepy.'_ Then her stomach rumbled and her cheeks flushed.

Nozomi chuckles, "How about we get dinner? I know a great place."

It seems to set off a chain reaction as there rumbles echo throughout the room.

Nico sighs, "Lead the way Nozi."

_Sam n' Tam Tea n' Grill_

"Ohh this place got a nice atmosphere here." Nico looks around at the wooden interior. "Feels homey."

"It's great." Nozomi ushers the rest of the group in.

"Oh hey Nozomi you're back again." Nico looks at the front counter to see two uniformed teen standing behind it.

"Hey Linda." Nozomi leads the party to the front and points to the side of the wall. "Here's the menu." She turns to the teen and smiles, "I'll have the usual."

"Alright." Linda nods and pushes some buttons on the cashier. "So what brings you back so early?"

"Oh I just wanted to show my friends this place..."

Nico raises her eyebrow, _'So Nozi is a regular here huh?'_

"...der?"

"Huh?" Nico looks to see the other teen, "Yes?"

"Are you ready to order miss?"

"Oh right," Nico quickly looks at the menu. "I'll have the... B.L.T."

"Okay."

"Here." Nico looks to side to see Nozomi holding out a credit card.

"Thanks." Nico accepts the card and gives it to the worker. As the crew walks to a nearby table to wait for their order, Nico sits down and can feel her exhaustion catching up to her._ 'Uggh.'_

Nozomi takes a seat next to Nico, "Maybe we should have gone to the hotel and ate there."

Nico shakes her head, "It's okay. And besides, you're having a lot of fun."

Nozomi looks confused but Rin called out to her, "Hey Nozomi how was your first week here?"

"Well..."

Nico leans back and enjoys the scene in front of her.

.

. . . . . . . . . .

.

_Hotel_

_Knock knock_

Nico blearily opens her eyes and rubs them with her hand. She throws the cover to stand up and yawn, "Who iz it?"

"Can we come in Nico?"

_'Oh it's Eli.'_ "Hold on," Nico walks over the door to see Eli, Nozomi, Rin, and Umi. "Whoa what's up?"

The blunette answers her, "Rin and I will going to seminar soon."

Rin waves her hand, "We just want to say goodbye since we'll be gone for most of the time."

"Oh." Nico's mind is finally waking up. "Then let the Number 1 Idol bless you with some luck." She holds her fist out, "Both of you are going to past the test."

Rin fist bumps the idol, "You got it nya~"

Umi stares at Rin but doesn't say anything.

Nico brings her fist in front of Umi; the guard just stares at the limb. "C'mon fist me."

Umi raises her eyebrow at the wording as she stares at Nico. After a while she sighs and lightly bumps fists together.

_'Yes!'_

Umi looks at her watch and turns to Rin, "We should be going." She looks back at the idol, "We will see you at a later time." Both of them start walking away.

Rin waves her hand, "See you later."

Nico and the other guards wave back, "See ya soon." After they disappear at the corner of the hallway, she turns back to them, "Wanna come in?"

"Sure Nicocchi." They walk and stop in front of the plasma screen.

Eli holds up some paper, "We got the questions."

"Ohh nice." Nico yawns again, "Lemme take a shower real quick so can you call for some breakfast?"

Eli places the paper down and picks up the phone, "Sure."

Nico walks in the bathroom and turns on the shower.

_Twenty minutes later..._

Nico opens the door to see both of the guards watching the TV; there is some man with a military uniform in front of camera. He points at a picture with a big red X on it. She then looks to the side to see a tray of food. "Ohh breakfast."

That brings the guards' attention. "Oh you're finished."

"Yup." Nico takes a sip of juice and then starts to spread cream cheese on a beagle. "So what's the plan for today?"

Nozomi turns off the screen, "Well you have a tour of the dance studio at 11 and then the interview will be at 6 so we should get to the news station around 5."

"Cool." Nico takes a bite and looks at the paper, "That should give me some time to prepare."

.

_Dance Studio_

Nozomi opens the door so Nico and Eli can go inside the studio. Inside the idol sees a spacious dance floor with windows as the walls. Off to the side there is a group of men and women huddled together. She whistles, "Damn this is pretty big."

That catches the group's attention and a blonde lady walks toward Nico. After getting close, her eyes widen and she smiles, "Ah you must be Nico Yazawa. It's good to meet you." She sticks her hand out, "I'm Grace Skye and I'll be your coach temporally."

Nico smiles and shakes her hand, "It's nice to meet you Grace. I'll be in your care."

Grace turns around and waves her group over, "These are my students and they'll be your supporting dancers."

Nico waves at them, "Hi all!"

The students wave back with a chorus of greetings.

Grace claps her hands to grab their attention, "So first things first. What kind of genre do you want? It should help us create a routine to fit it."

"What kind of dancing do you do?"

"We create choreography for music videos, movies, and events."

"That sounds nice. Can I see a sample?"

"Sure," Grace turns to her students, "Everyone let's do the one from last week."

( **search up: D-trix Finesse on youtube** )

_3 minutes later..._

"...Whoa." Nico's mouth was on the floor after that spectacular dance. She turns around to see Nozomi and Eli's jaws on the floor as well.

"Well what do you think?" Nico turns around back to see Grace smiling.

"That was really amazing. But I don't think I can sing and dance that well."

"No worries we don't have to something like that." She looks thoughtful for a moment, "If you don't mind, I do have a suggestion."

"What is it?"

"After we received a contract to coach you we researched your videos to see how you dance. You had good choreography and it wasn't intense to interfere with your singing."

"Aw thanks."

"So what I had in mind is to mix both styles together so you can dance and sing."

"So some kind of..." Nico looks for the right word, "Fusion?"

"Yes."

_'This sounds really interesting.'_ Nico grins and nods her head, "After seeing you guys dance, it sounds like a great idea."

Grace smiles, "I'm glad you like it. We can get started so we can see where it goes."

"That sounds great."

The dancer looks behind Nico, "Would you two like to join?"

Eli waves her hands, "Oh no thank you we are here just to watch."

Nico turns around to face her guards, "C'mon Eli it'll be fun."

Eli looks at Nozomi who shrugs her shoulders. She sighs, "Alright."

.

. . . . . . . . . .

.

_News Station_

Nico looks around as the staff workers busy themselves as they prepare to air the interview; she sees cameras placed in different area oh the studio. She looks at the center of the room to see a blonde woman sitting on a table looking at some papers. _'Probably the interviewer.'_ The idol looks over her notes and then takes a deep breath. _'Right. You got this.'_

Nico feels a tap and she looks over to see Nozomi and Eli smiling, "You got this Nicocchi."

"You're going to be fine."

Nico smiles, "Thanks." With that said the idol walks over to the lady and takes a seat, "Hey..." Nico searches her mind to remember her name, "Rachel."

Rachel looks up and smiles, "Oh hello Ms. Yazawa."

"Please call me Nico."

"Of course." Rachel tides up the papers, "Are you excited?"

Nico puts up a peace sign, "Kinda excited doing this in another country."

Rachel smiles at the gesture. A man comes up to them, "We'll be airing in one minute."

Rachel nods at him, "Thank you."

Nico looks at herself to make sure nothing is out of place and she looks presentable in front of the cameras. With nothing out of place she takes a looks around and stops at her guards; they give her a thumbs-up and she returns the gesture.

The man holds up three fingers.

_3_

_2_

_1_

Rachel looks at the camera, "Hello and welcome to New Dawn's news show. I'm you host Rachel Evergarden. Now I'm joined by a very special guest today and I'm sure some of you know who she is... Here is Nico Yazawa."

Nico poses for the cameras, "Nico-nii! Hello everyone!"

Rachel chuckles, "She is a rising idol star in Japan and she came here because she is going to hold a concert one month from now here in LA." She looks at the idol, "So Nico do you mind if I ask some questions?"

Nico grins, "I don't mind."

"Alright," The blonde briefly looks down at her paper, "So why did you become an idol?"

"I want to make everyone in the world to smile and I believe that being an idol I can do that."

"That's very noble Nico. What inspired you to go through this path?"

Nico smiles fondly at that, "My papa was the one who inspired me to become an idol. He was actually the one who created Nico-Nico-Nii."

"I'm sure he would be very proud to see you achieve. With all this fame did you get used to being a celebrity?"

Nico tucks a strand of her hair behind her ear, "Even after being an idol for years I'm still amazed I'm here right now."

Rachel nods, "And so why do you want to host a concert here in the US?"

"I wanted to show my fans my thanks for supporting me even though I was across the sea."

"Nico you're one of the very few to hold an international event on this scale. How does it make you feel?"

"I'm really excited and amazed that I have so many fans here." _'Alright done with the questions.'_

"Alright one more questions."

_'Wait what?'_

"Do you have any crushes?"

Nico sees a flash of yellow and purple, "Nope. My heart belongs to all of my fans equally."

Rachel looks to the side to see a man tapping his wrist. "Unfortunately we're out of time but be sure to come to Nico's concert next month at the stadium. For more information you can call the number or look up the website on the screen. This is Rachel Evergarden and I hope you have a great evening."

Nico waves at the camera, "Bye bye and Nico-Nii out."

"And that's a wrap! Great job everyone."

Rachel whips her head around, "I'm so sorry about the last question Nico. The director put it in at the last moment."

"It's fine. You did great." Nico waves Rachel goodbye and walks over to her guards.

"Ready to go back to the hotel Nicocchi?"

"Yeah I'm exhausted."

.

_At the entrance_

Nico looks outside to see a mob of people standing behind metal railings with security on the other side. "Wow."

Eli leans toward Nico, "I'm sorry Nico but all the other entrances are blocked off. Even Hanayo can't find a cleat exit."

Nozomi hums, "Funnily enough the front has the least amount of people."

"Well what are we waiting for? Let's meet my fans." Nico walks forward with the guards opening the door for the idol. She stops in front of the crowd with Eli and Nozomi standing by her side.

"NICO!"

Lights blink all around her as cameras and phones flash to capture pictures of the idol; she poses, "Nico-Nico-Nii"

"NICO-NICO-NII!" The crowd goes wild as they copy the pose.

"I'm sure you're all excited to see me but I have to go."

"Awww."

"I know I know. But you'll see me at the concert and I'm sure I'll make you smile again. So I'll see all of you later." Nozomi and Eli lead the way as they escort Nico to their SUV. Luckily her fans are cooperative and they made a clearing for her. They safely got in the car and drove off to the hotel.

.

. . . . . . . . . .

.

_Hotel_

After turning a corner Nico sees Rin and Umi waiting in front of her door. She keeps walking and waves at them, "Yo."

They both turn toward and met her halfway in the hall. Rin is the first to talk, "Hey Nico that was a great interview."

Nico and the crew continue their way to her room, "Thanks Rin."

Umi is quick to comment, "That was reckless of what you did at the front of the building Ms. Yazawa."

"It's fiiine," Nico unlocks the door and the party fills in. "And call me Nico. We're not in Japan anymore."

"But Ms—"

Nico turns around and points a finger at Umi, "Nope."

"Ms—"

"Nope."

"Bu—"

"Nope."

Umi sighs, "...Nico."

"See! Not so hard right?"

Eli pats Umi's shoulder, "Think of it this way. It would suspicious to be formal with Nico in public."

"...I suppose."

Nico plops down on her bed, "So how was your day?"

Rin gestures wildly, "It was crazy—"

_Bzzt_

Rin takes out her phone, "Hanayo and the others came back."

Nico nods at Rin, "You should get them and we can have a little get-together."

"Sounds fun." Rin jogs out of the door with Umi following after the rookie.

Nico lies down on the bed, "What a day."

Then Nozomi appeared in her vision with two bottles of water, "Here."

Nico sits back and accepts the drink, "Thanks." She opens the cap and takes a then feels the bed depress as Eli and Nozomi sit beside her. "That was tough."

Eli pats Nico's knee, "But you made it through."

Nozomi pats Nico's other knee, "We're here for you Nicocchi."

"Thanks." Nico sags into them as she lets their shoulders support her upright. "It's going to be a long month."

* * *

* * *

**.**

**And le fin.**

**Phew this one had more words than I expected. Anyway sorry that this chapter is more of a set up for future events; I wanna lay down the foundations first before I get more complex with the story.**

**Summer class takes so much of my time and concentration that it's hard to write a new chapter while making sure it's consistent with previous chapters. The next chapter will probably be in a month because of testing and all that.**

**Until next time.**

**Thanks for reading**

**Constructive criticisms are appreciated**

**Bravo Tango out.**


	18. Westcoast II

**Hey all!**

"Blah" — Speech

"Blah" — Speech in another language

_'Blah' _— Thoughts

[ Blah ] — Text

*_Blah_* — Sound effects in speech

(**_Blah_**) — Author's notes

**Disclaimer: I do not own any characters of Love Live! School Idol Project. This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author's imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.**

* * *

* * *

_Westcoast II_

_Muse temp office_

_Days later_

_Beep_

"Hey hey." Nico waves at the camera, "Nico-Nii here. Sorry for the late upload, but I'm finally here in LA." Nico starts to walk around the room, "I'm gonna be super busy after this so I should give you guys a heads up. Concert is gonna be in three weeks so I hope to see you nii's there."

Nico pauses for a second before speaking again, "Sorry for the short video but I gotta get ready soon." Nico grins and gives her signature sign, "Don't worry I'll make this the best concert you'll ever see. Nico out." The idol turns off the recording and then the camera.

Nico walks out of the room and makes her way to Hanayo's office space. In a few moments she reaches there and opens the door. "Yo Hanayo."

The technician turns around, "Hey Nico."

Nico walks over and places the camera on the table, "Can you upload this for me?"

"Oh was there another recording?" Hanayo takes the camera and plugs it into the computer.

"Nah. Just a short video for the fans." Nico leans on Hanayo's chair to stare at the screen; it was a figurine of Nico. "There's merch being sold already?"

"Hmm? Oh yeah your fans are buying your merchandise at a very fast rate."

"How fast?"

She presses the mouse a couple times and more windows pop out; there are posters, shirts, hats, and other things you can plaster her face on.

Nico's eye almost bug out, "They're almost sold out!?"

Hanayo nods as she now starts editing the video, "Your company is trying to make more before the concert." She raises a finger up, "Another thing, there are more people interested in you after watching your commercials."

_'Damn, this is getting better and better.'_

_Bzzt_

Nico takes her phone out; it's a message from Eli: [ We're going to have to leave in about 30 minutes. ]

[ Alright I'll meet you at the front. ] Nico pockets her phone and pats Hanayo's shoulder. "I'm about to go and I got one more place to check at. See you at the hotel later?"

"Okay. Good luck out there Nico."

Nico smiles, "Thanks." She gives one more pat and leaves the room

.

_Armor Design_

"Hey Kotori how you've been?" Nico walks over to the designer.

"Hi Nico and I'm good."

Nico stops next to Kotori, "So how's the workspace?"

Kotori shrugs, "I didn't bring my machines with me but your company was able to find some decent substitutes."

"Nice." Nico leans closer to the table, "So what do you have?"

Kotori opens s book with different sketches of dresses, "So I've been going around the stores to get a feel of the fashion here." She points at a couple of designs, "After some research I got a few ideas. What do you think?"

"Hmm," Nico peers closer and points at a part of the sketch, "This part looks familiar."

Kotori looks at the spot, "Oh yes I tried to combine two styles together."

"It looks really nice. I like this one so far."

Kotori and nods, "I'm glad you thought as well."

Nico grins, "Nothing less from the best. So do you need anything else?"

"Yes," Kotori turns to Nico, "How's your progress with Eli and Nozomi?"

Nico's grin falters, "H-Huh?" Nico grins again, "It's going great."

Kotori raises her eyebrow.

Nico sighs, "Not much."

"What's stopping you?"

"I've been so busy with the idol—" Nico shakes her head, "That's a poor excuse." The idol sighs again, "It's just... I guess I got used to what we have right now."

"But you want more."

"Yeah I really do." Nico looks to the side of a wall and breathes again. After a while she looks back at the designer, "I'll tell them after the concert."

Kotori nods. "Whatever you think is best."

"Sorry for that little vent."

"Oh no It was kinda my fault for bringing it up."

Nico raises her eyebrow, "What brought this on?"

"During my trip I saw a lot of couples that remind me of you three."

"Oh."

"And you're becoming more obvious."

Nico palms her face, "Seriously?"

_Bzzt_

Nico takes out her phone to see Eli's message: [We have to leave soon. ]

[ Alright alright I'll see you soon. ]

Nico looks up, "I'll be going." She waves and starts walking to the door, "I'll see you later."

"See you Nico and I should have the dress done in about a week."

.

. . . . . . . . . . . .

.

_Dance studio_

"Aaaand stop." Grace claps her hands, "Alright everyone that'll be it for practice today." Everyone makes their way to stuff while Grace walks up to the idol, "You did good Nico. You lagged at some parts but overall you kept up with the tempo."

"Thanks." Nico pants as she takes a swig from her water bottle.

Grace nods, "I'll see you tomorrow."

Nico waves her hand, "Until tomorrow." Grace waves back and walks to one of her students. Nico's gaze follows the instructor and saw her guards at the side of the room; she quickly looks back to her bottle. _'C'mon focus. That can wait until after.'_ She shakes her head and walks to them, "What's on the schedule for today?"

Eli pulls out her phone, "You have a photo-shoot at the beach and then a meet-and-greet event later."

"Ohohoho." Nozomi hides her mouth, "We get to see Nicocchi in a swimsuit."

"Psh. You better bring some sunscreen 'cause you might get burned from my dazzling skin." Nico holds a V sign as she follows Nozomi and Eli to the car. She sighs in relief as she walks behind them; her cheeks are still flushed.

.

. . . . . . . . . . . .

.

_Beach_

_Knock Knock_

"Miss is there any problems?"

Nico shakes her head, but realizes there is a wall, "Nope I'll be out in a minute."

"Okay."

Nico hears the footsteps fade away from the trailer. Nico sighs and takes a look at the mirror was wearing a two-piece pink swimsuit with a mesh wrap skirt that reaches down to the middle of her thighs.

_'A little risqué but still looks nice.'_ The idol leans on the table, _'You got this. Idol mode: on.'_ She takes a deep breath and walks to the door. She opens the trailer door and she had to cover her face from the bright sunlight. Taking a few moments to recover, Nico looks around the beach to see only the camera crew and her guards. _'Wow John works fast.'_ She begins her way to the staging area.

A woman with red hair walks up to the idol and holds her hand out, "Hello Nico I'm Gwen and I'll be taking your photos for today."

Nico smiles and shakes the photographer's hand, "Hi Gwen it's a pleasure to meet you." They both chuckle and walk to the first spot.

Gwen directs her crew and holds her camera up, "Okay Nico I want you to pose and..."

_Two hours later..._

"Perfect! And we're done here." The crew starts to pack their gear away as Gwen looks over the picture. "There are great Nico. You know what you're doing."

Nico slips on a jacket, "Aw thanks Gwen."

Gwen holds out a card, "It's been a pleasure working with you. If you ever in town again please call me."

Nico accepts the card, "It was really fun to work with you and I'll definitely will." They nod at each other and split off in opposite directions. As Nico walks to her area, she sees Eli and Nozomi huddled together with the violet-head holding up her phone. The idol gets close enough to them so say, "Hey what's up?"

Eli jumps away quickly with her cheeks slightly flushed, "N-Not much."

Nico raises her eyebrow and looks at Nozomi; the guard smiles and shrugs while pocketing her phone.

Eli coughs into her hand, "A-Anyway we should get going soon for your next event."

Nico stares Eli for a while but shrugs as well, "Alright."

.

. . . . . . . . . . . .

.

_Convention center_

Nico stops before the stage curtains and fiddles with her dress; she looks at both Eli and Nozomi, "Hey is anything out of place?"

Nozomi smooths out a part of the dress, "There. Better now."

Eli peeks around for a while and then she nods at Nico, "Everything is perfect Nico."

Nico nods and smiles at them, "Thanks." She turns around and peeks at the edge of the curtains to look at the crowd; she gives a short whistle. _'Wow.'_ The room is filled with people in suits and dresses. _'Oh crap, it's that one chick who played in that one comic movie.'_ As Nico sweeps her gaze across the room she recognizes other public figures. _'Hey it's that blogger who shared my first video.'_

"Elichi did we went to the wrong location?"

Nico looks back, "What?"

Nozomi smiles at the idol, "Sorry Nicocchi I thought they were a pack of wolves for a moment."

Nico lightly punches Nozomi's shoulder, "Rude. Most of them have a fan base of their own."

Nozomi keeps smiling while Eli just shrugs.

Nico shakes her head, "Anyway it's about to start so you two ready?" They both nod and Eli walks off the backstage while Nozomi stays in place. "Right." Nico starts walking to the stage and the crowd quiets down as the notice the idol. Nico reaches to the center and taps the microphone.

"Hello everyone and welcome to Nico-Nii's first international meet-up! Now I want to thank all of you who came here tonight. So please enjoy the food and drinks." Nico poses, "I'll be sure to meet everyone here."

The crowd claps at the small speech and Nico gives a short bow. The idol walks to the front and down the mini-stairs to see Eli waiting at the bottom level. Nico didn't get ten feet away from the stage when people start crowding. _'Ohhh here we go.'_

_1 hour later..._

"Ahem."

The group surrounding Nico turned to the source of the interruption; Nico tries to peek around to see who it is. _'Who is that?'_

"May I have some time with the host?"

The group immediately parted and Nico's eye slightly widens as she finally gets to see the unknown person, _'Wow.'_ The person has a black one-piece dress that reaches slightly above her knees while there is a white capelet on her shoulders. She has blue eyes and blonde hair that reaches down her shoulders. Behind there are two ladies with the same faces, hair, and suits; the only way to tell them apart is their red and blue ties respectively.

_'Twins huh.'_ Nico suddenly blinks as she looks around, _'What the? Where did everyone go?'_ Nico looks behind and raises her eyebrow; Eli and even Nozomi seem serious. The idol looks around again to only see her guards and the new group nearby.

The lady lightly dips her head, "Hello Nico."

Nico blinks, "H-Hi Miss...?"

The lady smiles, "Please call me Alice." Alice gestures to an empty table near them, "Shall we have some time alone?" She waves her hands and the twins step back.

"Uh sure." Nico looks back and nods at her guards; Eli and Nozomi then stare at each other before they step back the same distance as the twins. Nico and Alice now walk to the nearby table and stood in silence as the only sounds were chatter in the background. She feels the silences getting to her and Nico blurted out, "So you know Japanese huh?" _'Oh great nice one dumbass.'_

Alice smiles, "It is beneficial to be fluent in multiple languages for my position. I also figured that it will be more convenient for you to speak your native tongue."

"Oh," Nico gins, "Thanks."

"It is of no consequence." Alice places her hands on top of the table, "How has Los Angeles been treating you?"

"Oh I've been very busy so I didn't see the entire city but overall I like being here."

"Hmm," Alice nods at the answer, "Forgive me if this is too forward but why go through so much effort for a concert in the United States?"

"O-Oh well..." Nico takes a moment, "Well I wanted to show my international fans my thanks for all of their support. Not only that, this is a great chance for more people to see my concert."

"Why is that?"

Nico beams at Alice, "I want everyone to smile."

Alice blinks a couple of time before she smiles, "I see." One of the twins with the red tie comes to Alice's side and leans down near her ear. Alice slightly nods as she listens to whatever Red tie is saying. The lady steps back and Alice focuses back to Nico, "I'm afraid I have to be somewhere else." Alice stands up and offers her hand, "I apologize for ending this conversation on such an abrupt note."

Nico stands up and shakes Alice's hand, "It's no problem. It was great talking with you."

"Likewise. I wish you luck on your concert."

"Thank you."

Alice nods and walks to the exit with the twins following after her.

Nico watches as she leaves, _'What an interesting lady.'_ She notices something at the edge of her eye and the idol turns to see a different group coming toward her table. _Sigh 'Round 2.'_

.

. . . . . . . . . . . .

.

_Hotel_

"Urrrrgh." Nico flops face-down on her pillow. "That took forever and there's still more to do."

Nozomi pats her shoulder, "You did say that you wanted to meet and talk with all the guests."

"Shut it Nozi." Nico flips over, "Where is everyone?"

"They'll be coming later."

The door opens and Eli walks in three tubs of ice cream, "I got your flavor Nico."

Nico takes her tub, "Thanks." She presses on her forehead, "Ahhhh." Nico hears the others opening their ice cream and she decides to do the same. She takes a scoop of the strawberry and plops the ice treat inside her mouth. "Mmmm."

Eli takes a seat next to Nozomi, "Don't worry Nico. You can do it."

_'God this is_ why I love you two." Nico takes another scoop and lets the ice cream melt.

"...Eh?"

Nico turns to both them staring at her and blushing; she furrows her brows, "What?" Then her eyes bulge out of their sockets, "Oh shit." Nico's cheeks flush to a pink hue and she immediately jumps to gesture wildly with her tub of ice cream. "Wait! I don't mean— Well I do—But—"

"We understand Nicocchi."

"Huh?" Nico stares at them, "Really?"

Eli nods with the blush still on her face, "Being here gave us a lot of perspectives."

_'This is it!'_ Nico takes a deep breath and then stares at both Eli and Nozomi. "Eli. Nozomi." They gave her their full attention. "Can you wait for me after the concert to properly tell you how I feel?"

Eli and Nozomi stare at each other for a while as they leave Nico in silence. Just as Nico starts to fidget, they both turn to Nico and smile, "Of course."

Nico sighs, "Thank you." She sits back down and all three of them start eating again. After a while Nico stops eating and stares at Eli.

Eli notices and turns to the idol, "W-What?"

"Oh!" Nico points her spoon to them, "Who was that blond lady?"

They gape at Nico.

"Like seriously who is she? She seems pretty famous but I don't know her."

Eli works her jaws several times, "...That was Alice Murgatroyd."

"Mmmm," Nico shakes her head, "I got nothing."

"She's the CEO of Sphera."

Nico taps the spoon on her lips, _'Hmmm...wait...'_ She drops the tub of ice cream and jumps up. "WHAT!? How come you didn't tell me!?"

Eli jumps up as well, "She wasn't on the invite list and we were just as surprised as you were. She came on her own."

Nozomi pats their shoulders, "Now now what's done is done. Let's just move past that and eat."

_'Holy Shiiit! Why is Alice interested in me?'_ On the outside Nico just grumbles as she picks up her ice cream and starts eating again. _'God what a fucking day.'_

* * *

* * *

**.**

**And fin.**

**I'm BACK... and now I'm going to go back to hibernation. Sorry for the month delay but I'm almost down. YAY! Pro tip: don't take science classes in the summer.**

**So this chapter will be the last setup and we can go to the main event.**

**Another character enters the stage. So who wants to guess the inspiration for the new character?**

**See ya in two weeks.**

**Thanks for reading**

**Constructive criticisms are appreciated**

**Bravo Tango out.**


	19. Heavy Impact

**Why hello. **

"Blah" — Speech

"Blah" — Speech in another language

_'Blah' _— Thoughts

[ Blah ] — Text

*_Blah_* — Sound effects in speech

(**_Blah_**) — Author's notes

**Disclaimer: I do not own any characters of Love Live! School Idol Project. This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author's imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.**

* * *

* * *

_Heavy Impact_

_Knock Knock_

Nico opens the door to see all of her guards waiting in the hallway. She turns to Rin and Umi, "You girls finished the test?"

Umi nods while Rin grins and gives a thumbs-up, "Yup!"

Nozomi smiles at the idol, "Ready?"

Nico grins at them and starts walking, "I got this."

_In the SUV..._

"Alright cheese." Nico takes a picture of herself from her phone. With the photo taken, Nico turns the phone back to her and starts typing a message on her social media: [ Hey all! There's a few more days before my concert and I hope to see my Nico-Niis there. ]

In the background she hears her guards in the background, "...So I think this way is better..."

_'Eh,'_ Nico mentally shrugs, _'It's whatever.'_ The idol continues typing as they drive off to her practice session.

.

. . . . . . . . . . . .

.

No matter how many times Nico have seen the stadium, it always takes her breath away. The area has been modified to increase the space capacity; there's even a second floor. Up on the roof there are machines that were recently installed and Nico has been told that are mist machines to keep the people cooled off. _'Hopefully no one gets a heat stroke.'_

Nico looks to the end of the stadium to see a stage slightly elevated from the ground. On the stage there are dancers warming up and that prompted Nico to jog over to them. Once she gets close enough she spots the dance instructor and waves to her. "Hey Grace!"

The dancer waves back, "Hi Nico. Are you ready?"

Nico nods at her, "Yup. Let's do this."

_One hour later..._

"Nicoo."

The idol looks to the side to see Kotori and Umi walking up the stage with boxes in their hands. "Hey Kotori." She waits until they get close, "What's up?"

Kotori lifts up her box, "I finished making the costume for your dancers."

"Oh nice. Thanks Kotori." Nico turns around and cups her mouth, "Everyone! Can you come here for a bit?" With all the dancers gathered, she gestures to Kotori, "Everyone this is Kotori. She is an amazing fashion designer and she finished making your costumes."

Kotori nods at them, "I do hope you like them."

Grace claps her hands, "Alright everyone. 3 2 1..."

"Thank you!" The dance crews take the boxes off of their hands and open the lids to see the contents. One by one the dancers pass around the costume and marvel at the designs.

Grace nods at Kotori, "Thank you for making them."

"I'm happy to help."

Grace walks over and picks up her costume to inspect it. While everyone was busy checking out their new costumes, Nico turns around just in time to see Umi kiss Kotori on the check. Umi pulls back for their eyes to meet and Nico's mouth quirks into a smirk. Umi suddenly straightens her back and coughs into her fist; Nico can still see her pink cheeks. "I-I'll be going back to my post. If you excuse me." She makes a hasty exit.

Watching Umi walk away, Kotori then settles next to Nico, "Thank you."

"Hmm? For what?"

"Ever since you've been with us Umi slowly started to... loosen up."

"Oh that? It's a gift really."

Kotori giggles, "Charmful as ever."

"Of course." She points at thumb at herself, "One of the great qualities of being the Number One Idol."

"Nico! We're about start practice again."

Nico looks back to see all of the dance crews in their costumes. She turns back to Kotori, "You sure they should be wearing that for practice?"

"It's alright Nico. They should get familiar with the costumes and I have spares back at the workshop."

"Oh. What about me?"

Kotori takes a moment to appraise Nico, "Your clothes almost match with your costume so you're mostly good." She walks to one of the boxes to pull a piece of clothing. "Here. This should complete your 'costume.'"

Nico accepts it. "Thanks." She puts it on and runs back the crew to restart practice.

.

. . . . . . . . . . . .

.

"Hello and welcome to New Dawn's news show. I'm your host Rachel Evergarden. Now I'm rejoined by a special guest who has been on this show before." The host gestures to her side, "Here is Nico Yazawa."

Nico waves her hand, "Hey everyone! Your favorite idol is here."

"It's been a couple of weeks since we've last met so how have you been?"

"I feel great."

"The days are getting closer and closer to your concert here in LA. How do you feel?"

Nico grins, "I'm feeling excited that I get to see my fans soon."

"Speaking of fans," Rachel looks down her papers for a moment, "For the past three weeks a large number of foreign visitors have come to LA and the most of them came from Japan. This is the largest amount we have ever seen in the past 30 years. What do you think about it?"

"I feel really happy that my fans went out of their way to some see me. And for that..." Nico turns to the camera and bows her head, "Thank you."

"Alright," Rachel looks at another piece of paper. "Is there anything you want to say for your concert?"

"Besides it's going to be the best one?" They both chuckle at that and Nico continues, "Not much since I'll end up repeating myself but be sure to keep yourself hydrated in this kind of weather. Other than that you can meet new people, watch me perform. and enjoy yourselves."

"Well that was Nico Yazawa and her concert will debut in a few days."

Nico does her one-hand pose, "Nico-Nii out."

.

. . . . . . . . . . . .

.

_Stadium_

"Getting the jitters Nicocchi?"

Nico stops her pacing to face Nozomi, "Ehhh a little bit." Currently Nico is inside her dressing room with Eli and Nozomi while the others are outside the door.

Eli chimes in, "It shouldn't be any different from your other concerts no?"

Nico turns to the blonde, "It's a little different since I'm mixing things up. I hope it works out well."

The door opens and Honoka walks into the room. "Hey Nico. Kotori will be coming in a bit. She's doing some last-minute changes on your costume."

"Alright."

"So how are you feeling?"

"A little nervous honestly."

"It'll be fine." Honoka pats Nico on the shoulder.

"It's just I've never done a concert with this kind of audience."

"Think of it this way," Nozomi steps closer to Nico, "You'll be the first to perform an international concert of this magnitude. You'll go down in history."

Nico straightens her back, _'Ohh that sounds nice.'_ "Yeah." Nico nods to herself, "The Number 1 Idol always does her best." She smiles at them, "Thanks."

They smile back, "No problem."

_Knock_

The door opens and Kotori peeks in, "Hey Nico." She walks inside holding a bag in her hands, "Sorry I'm late but I wanted to do some finishing touches."

"If it's you, I'm sure it will be the best."

Kotori makes a shooing motion to the guards, "Alright go on now. A girl's gotta have a surprise for everyone you know?"

"Alright." The guards walk out.

Kotori turns back to Nico, "Let's get you suited up."

_Thirty minutes later..._

Nico opens the door prompting her guards and Honoka to turn to her.

"Whoa." Honoka says that as everyone else stared. Nico is wearing a white medium-sleeved blouse where there are frills on her midsections and at the ends of the sleeves. On top of that she a black mini suit-vest that still shows her filled middle and a pink bow clasped in front of her collar. For the lower half Nico is weaning a skirt where one half is red while the other half is white; she then has white tights that reach up to the middle of thighs. To top it off the idol has her hair in her usual pigtails while her left hand has a black glove and the other hand has a red glove.

Nico gives a twirl, "So what do you think?"

Honoka gives whoop, "Awesome!"

Rin give a thumbs-up, "You look so cool."

Umi gives a nod, "It's a nice design."

Eli has a goofy grin, "Amazing Nico."

Nozomi smiles, "You're definitely going to woo the crowd Nicocchi."

Nico has a small blush as she smiles, "Thanks." She then starts walking toward the backstage, "Now let me show you and the world why I'm Number 1."

.

. . . . . . . . . . . .

.

_Breathe_

_In_

_Out_

_In_

_Out_

Nico adjusts the ear microphone around her left ear. As the lights start to dim the idol begins walking toward the stage as the dancers take their positions. After a few seconds an announcer comes online: "Everyone may I have you attention?" Now please welcome Nico!" The beats start to slowly play as Nico appears out of the curtains and walks toward the center.

"NICO!" The ground trembles as thousands of voices scream out her name.

Nico waves to the crowd as she sees cameras maneuvering around to show her figure on the plasma screen on top of the stage. _'Looks like my fans back home can see me.'_ The beats start to ramp up and then the base starts playing, signifying the start.

(**Nico Yazawa WILD STARS solo**)

_Hide→ Open→ Hide, This isn't love yet_  
_Open→ Hide→ Open, Prepare yourself and chase after it_  
_I want to start…WILD STARS_

_With a whimsical light I'll find you_  
_Let yourself be swept away by the stimulation on a night like this_

Nico starts to lightly dance around the stage as a group of dancers perform elaborate acrobatics around the idol; the crowd _ohhs_ and _ahhs_ while the dancers barely touch Nico as she moves around. Nico then changed the timbre of her voice. _'Here goes.'_

_Suffering from boredom, It sways my chest_  
_The sudden storm was a passionate, wild wind_

The crowd went crazy with how deep Nico's voice can go. After that verse a different group of dancers showed up behind Nico and they all started perform a routine.

_I searched forever and ever for a place to meet you_  
_You and I came here_  
_From now on the two of us, From now on we'll shine_

Near the end of the verse the group dispersed but one dancer kept dancing and wrapped a piece of cloth around his elbow. Gaining momentum he lowers his body to the floor and starts to spin on his elbow. Nico went around him while doing a spinning motion with her finger. The dancer stops with a headstand and Nico points at his feet up in the air. She then sweeps her finger and the dancer followed the movement and smoothly exits the stage; the crowd loved it.

Nico swaggers to the center of the stage and Grace enters the light.

_Hide→ Open→ Hide, This isn't love yet_  
_Open→ Hide→ Open, Prepare yourself and chase after it_  
_I want to start…WILD STARS_

At the end of the verse Nico tapped her earpiece to turn it off but the beat keeps on playing. Nico looks at Grace and they both nod at each other and began dancing together.

(**MMD- Rather Be. The dance is at 1:19**)

Once Nico stopped focusing on singing, her dancing becomes more dynamic. Even though their routine looks different the pair is able to make it flow into one piece. Nico and Grace both raised their right feet and slammed it down; that prompted all the lights to turn off. A different song starts to play.

(**Lost In the Rhythm**)

Nico hears the audience mutter as she watches the whole dance crew get into position around the center. One of the dancers came next to the idol to give her a hat and just as she places it on her head the lights shine on them again. The crowd gasps they see the dance crew in dresses and suits; it was if they came from the 1920s. Nico taps her earpiece and they start to groove.

_There's a boy downtown from the club I know_  
_He doesn't say a word, he just hits the floor_  
_The way he moves always caught my eye_  
_Couldn't take it no more, just had to try_  
_I move to the floor, as he danced away_  
_His feet like magic, then he looked my way_  
_And in one swoop, he had me by his side_  
_And I knew I was in for a ride_

Throughout the song Nico would dance with a partner for several moments before switching to another partner.

_as we_  
_Sway to that sound_  
_Our feet tap, tapping, and our heartbeats' beating and I_  
_Spin round and round_  
_When we're lost in the rhythm, the lights and the crowd_  
_That look in his eyes made me sure_  
_We'd be dancing til' the dawn_

Nico taps her earpiece off again and lets the dancers spin her around as the song starts to amp up. The idol spins faster as the beat starts to get louder and faster. After several rotations Nico starts acting 'dizzy' and falls forward to the ground but she catches herself with her red hand. She stays in that position as one dancer slides from her right side to the left, another dancer pulling a somersault over her body from the front to the back, and another dancer performing a side-flip from behind Nico.

Everyone got up and posed in Nico's signature move just as the song ends. The fans went absolutely wild at the first performance. Nico tries to calm down her breathing as she taps her earpiece. "Nico-Nico-Nii!"

"NICO-NICO-NII!"

Nico's smile splits across her face as her name thunders across the stadium.

_Three hour later..._

(**Eli POV**)

"That was absolutely amazing Nico!"

"It's because I'm the greatest."

Eli watches as Rin bounces in front of Nico as they walk to their car. Eli idly scans along the hallway as Nico basks in Rin's awe. The blonde shakes her head at that, _'How silly.'_ But she has a grin on her face. Eli taps her earpiece, "How is the route looking Hanayo?"

"Nothing out of the ordinary. You're good Eli." The group continues walking to the garage but then Hanayo's voice cut in, "There a disturbance in front of the stadium." There is a pause. "John said he'll take care of it and it's nothing to worry about."

"Okay. Thanks for the info." Eli taps her earpiece, "Umi. Nozomi." There is no reaction but Eli knows they are listening. "Something happened at the front and John is covering it at the moment. But I want to be careful just in case."

"Copy."

They reached to the garage to see their vehicle with several guards stationed around the perimeter. In the middle of their walk Nico turns around and raises her eyebrow. "Eli what's up? You look like you ate something so—"

_BANG BANG_

Eli immediately tackles Nico to the ground and wraps her body over the idol. "GUN! GUN!"

Her warning was unneeded as her fellow guards covered the idol and had their guns out. "Moving into cover!" Eli grabs Nico and drags her to the side of a solid piece of concrete with the guards taking positions near them.

Eli looks down and pats down Nico's body, "Nico are you hurt?"

Nico eyes are wide, "I-I think I'm okay."

Eli hears Umi speaking into her earpiece, "Hanayo! We have armed unknown contacts in the garage. We need backup."

Eli pulls her handgun out of the holster and takes a peek to locate their assailant but so far she sees no one in sight.

"Shit! Steve!"

Eli glances to the ground to see a guard clenching his shoulder but one of the guards crept over and dragged their colleague to safety. She looks back to her group, "Did anyone see where the shot come from?"

All of them shake their heads. Umi tries to take a peek but immediately ducks back into cover as the concrete near her head chips off.

One of the guards pointed slightly to the other end of the garage. "Contacts!" He points his guns and squeezes several shots at the enemy; the rest of his colleague followed suit.

Umi presses a finger on her ear and pauses for a moment. She looks to the group, "Backup is too far away and we cannot stay here for too long." Umi stares at the car for a long moment and then looks back at the group. "Eli. Nozomi. The both of you are taking Nico to the car while we provide covering fire."

Nico protested at that, "But what about you two?"

"Your life is our priority." Umi doesn't give Nico time to refute as she turns around and gestures to attract the other guards' attention. Once she did she gestures them again to provide covering fire on her signal. Umi turns back Eli and Nozomi. "Get ready." She breathes in, "Covering fire!" Umi, Rin, and the rest of the guards open fire at the enemy's position.

"Go Go Go!" Eli hooked her arm around Nico's waist and ran to the car with Nozomi at Eli's side to provide extra cover. They reach to the car and Eli opens the door to push Nico in while Nozomi reached into the driver side. Eli looks back to see one of the masked shooters turning towards their position. She brought her gun up to fire two rounds to force them back into cover.

Eli hears the engine roar to life and she jumps into the car. Just as she closes the door Nozomi stomps on the accelerator and speeds out of the garage. Eli pushes Nico down to the seats as a few bullets pinged off the rear window. "Stay down!"

They stay in that position for about five minutes before Nozomi call to the back, "We should be safe for now."

Eli slowly gets back up and then helps Nico up. She reaches under seats and pulls out a vest, "Here Nico. I'll help you put it on." Nico slowly nods and lets Eli strap the vest around her body. After Eli clips on Nico's seat-belt, Eli hugs Nico and taps her earpiece, "Are there any updates?"

Hanayo voices filters through her ear, "The attackers got away."

"How are Rin and Umi?"

Umi's voice cuts in, "We're okay. Rin and I are will meet up with you at rendezvous A."

"Roger that. We will— NOZOMI WATC—

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

"Urgh." Eli blearily forced her eyes open. _'Nico!'_ Eli turns to her side to see the idol groaning, "Nico!"

Nico groans and opens her eyes, "Wha... What happened?"

Eli fumbles her seat belt and it finally unlatches, "Car crash." El scoots over to check Nico's pulse and body. _'Slightly elevated. Small cuts on her face.'_ "How are you feeling?"

"Like something kicked me in the ribs."

_'Most likely bruising. Hopefully no internal damage.'_

"Is Nozomi okay?"

Eli turns to the front to see the guard slumped over. She moved as fast as possible to check Nozomi's pulse, _'Stable.'_ Eli takes a moment to look at their side of the car. The windows had spiderweb-cracks all over the area and she can see the dents on the frames. _'What the hell hit us?'_ She looks back to Nico, "She's fine for now."

"Should we mover her?"

"We have to wai—" She notices movement on her side of the car, "Nico get down!" Eli pulls Nico down to the seat and places her body over the idol.

_CRACK_

Eli hears the glass breaking and feels someone grabbing onto her suit and pulling her out of the car.

"Eli!"

Eli tries to resist but another pair of hands grasps her shoulders and she is almost out of the car. Eli reacted by placing her legs at the edge of the door and pushed with all of her might. The force pushes Eli and her assailants to the ground. Eli was able to recover faster since they broke her fall and she rolls over the side to pull out her gun. Just as she had them in her sights a foot appeared and kicked the gun away from her hand.

Eli looks up to see the enemy aiming his heel down to her face. She rolls to side just as the booted-heel slams down to where her chest would be. Eli rolls back and swings her elbow to the side of his knee; it bent unnaturally.

"Fuck!" The man crumples to the ground and cradles his damaged knee.

Eli rolls away and pushes herself off the ground to see the other two attackers slowly getting up. She rushes over and slams her knee on the first attacker's chest; the man screams as Eli feels something cracking under her knee. In that time the second attacker swung his hand at the guard; she sees a glint and jumps away from the attack.

Eli swings out her baton to extend it to its fullest length and holds it in front of her chest. She watches as the man got up with his combat knife at the ready. They both inch closer until there are a few steps from each other. There is a lull in the battle and then the man swings at Eli. She steps back and aims a swing at the man's hand. But the attacker reacted quickly and pulls his hand back. They both got into their stance again and are back at step one.

"Ahh! Eli help!"

Eli whips her head to see two other assailants pulling Nico out of the car. "Nico!" The man took the chance and swung a diagonal cut at Eli's head. The guard instinctively raised her other arm up and the knife sinks into her forearm. "Ahh!" Eli swings her baton but he grabs her wrist and twists her hand, forcing Eli to drop the baton.

Eli grits her teeth and pushes her knee up to strike his diaphragm. The man lets go of his knife and grabs onto her leg. He takes out a smaller knife and slams it into Eli's thigh. Before Eli had a chance to scream, the attacker strikes his palm at her diaphragm. She loses her breath and the force sent her tumbling to the ground.

"Eli! You fuckers! You're all a-MNN-"

Eli rasps as she tries to control her breathing. Just as her breathing becomes stable, she sees the man with a small gun pointed to her head.

"MNNNNN!"

Eli takes one last look at Nico before closing her eyes. _'I'm sorry Nico.'_

_BANG_

"Čo do piče?!"

Eli opens her eyes and looks to the sound of the gun and sees the car door opened; Nozomi has her trembling arm outstretched with her pistol aimed at Eli's would-be executioner. The man aims the gun at Nozomi but a small-sized hole appeared on his shoulder. "ARRGH!" He drops his gun near Eli and cradles his injury. This time Eli turns around to see multiple cars in the distance speeding toward them. Eli sees Rin driving the front SUV and Umi with her upper body out of the window.

The attackers gather their injured and jump to their vehicle. Eli forces herself to reach for the gun with her uninjured are. Just as she grasps the handle of the gun the car starts speeding off with Nico. Eli aims the gun at the back of the car and pulls the trigger.

_BANG_

_BANG_

_BANG_

_BANG_

_CLICK_

_CLICK_

Eli watches in despair as the car turns the corner and disappears from her sight. She throws away the gun and covers her eyes with her arm. Eli's face trembles as she feels something staining her sleeves.

.

.

_Nico_

.

.

Eli hears the sirens but it becomes a distant noise in the background.

.

.

_Nico_

.

.

Eli slams her fist onto the asphalt street.

"NICOOOOOOOOOO!"


	20. Aftermath

**Well that was a crazy chapter. Sorry it took so long to update; I finally finished summer school. Yay!**

**Anyway now this story is going to take a shift in tone so let's see how that goes. Also the updates are going to be bit wonky but hopefully it won't take me 2 or more weeks to update a chapter.**

**But that's enough about me so let's get into this.**

"Blah" — Speech

"Blah" — Speech in another language

_'Blah' _— Thoughts

[ Blah ] — Text

*_Blah_* — Sound effects in speech

(**_Blah_**) — Author's notes

**Disclaimer: I do not own any characters of Love Live! School Idol Project. This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author's imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.**

* * *

* * *

_Aftermath_

_Beep_

_Beep_

_Beep_

Eli opens her eyes to see a white blur in front of her view. After blinking a couple of times her eyes refocus and the blur becomes a white ceiling. _'Where am I?'_ She cranes her neck to the left to see a redhead standing over someone in a bed. Eli focuses on that person's face and realizes it is Nozomi and images of what happened rushes to her mind.

"Nico-Ack!" The blonde tried to rise up but pain flared up in her midsection.

"You need to stay down." Eli feels a hand firmly but gently easing the blonde back into bed. The guard looks up to see violet eyes staring back at her, "Maki? Where are we?"

"We're in a hospital."

"Are we back in Japan?"

"No we're still in the US." Eli must have a confused face since Maki elaborates, "I flew over here as fast as I could when I heard the news." Maki tilts her head to Eli's body. "I wanted to make sure the doctors didn't screw up."

Eli suddenly feels her throat dry and she stares into Maki, "...Did we get Nico back?"

The doctor averts her eyes and starts twirling a lock of her hair.

"...I see." Eli drops her head back on the pillow and grits her teeth. She clenches both of her fists but her left hand is unable to move. Eli brings her head up to see her left arm in a cast. Eli takes in a deep breath and slowly releases it out. _'Focus. I need to prioritize recovery otherwise I can't help find Nico.'_ She looks at Maki again, "What's my diagnosis?"

That brought Maki back to focus as she walks to the end of Eli's bed and picks up a clipboard. "You have a deep laceration on your left forearm. A stab wound on you right thigh. And you have bruises on your right wrist and upper abdominal area."

Eli tilts her head to the bed next to her, "What about Nozomi?"

"She had a mild concussion with fractures all over the left side of her body." The doctor sighs, "She was fortunate that the car took the brunt of the damage. Other than that she has small cuts and abrasions in some parts of her body."

Eli didn't realize she was holding her breath and exhales, _'Thank goodness.'_ "How long have we been here?"

"Almost 3 days."

_'That long?'_ They lapse into silence.

After a while Maki points at the door, "I'll tell the others that you're awake."

"Okay." Eli sighs and looks back at the ceiling.

"Oh." Eli looks up again to see Maki walking closer to her bed and pulling something out of her pocket. "Here. Rin and Umi were able to salvage these for you two."

Eli accepts it to see it was their bracelets. She brings it to her chest and nods at Maki, "Thank you."

The doctor nods back and then walks out of the room.

Now alone Eli brings the bracelet closer to her face to inspect them. The metal bands were disfigured beyond their original shape. _'It won't fit in our hands anymore.'_ The blonde turns them around and found the gems; they are intact but cracked. She places it on her forehead, _'Nico...'_

"Mnnn." Eli turns her head to see Nozomi stirring awake. Nozomi opens her eyes and she looks around the room in a daze. It took some time before they land on Eli; she blinks a couple of times, "...Elichi? Where are we?"

"The hospital." Eli presses a button to adjust the bed at a better angle.

Nozomi looks around and stares back at Eli, "Is Nicocchi..."

Eli shakes her head.

"Oh." Nozomi goes silent and covers her eyes with her hand. Eli opens her mouth but she hesitates and looks down at her hands. The blonde tries again but Nozomi interrupts her, "I can't believe I'm so useless."

"I-What?"

"I was knocked out and I couldn't help Nico."

"Nozomi you had a concussion from the crash. No one could blame you for that."

Nozomi bites her trembling lips, "It's just..." She takes a shuddering breath, "I couldn't be there when she needed me the most."

Eli chews the corner of her lips as she stares at Nozomi. "You know... I'm glad you were unconscious."

"...What?"

"They ignored you because they thought you weren't a threat." Eli turns her head to stare at her partner, "Because of that you saved me Nozomi."

"I-" Nozom smiles, "Thanks Elichi."

"I should be the one saying that." They both lapse into silence after that.

Just as Eli was about to enjoy the quiet she hears footstep outside the room. The door opens and the whole Muse staff enters their room. Rin rushes and stops in between them, "Are you two okay!?"

Nozomi puts on a smile, "We're fine Rin." Nozomi then notices the bandages around her head and the left side of her body, "Well as fine as we can be."

Honoka stops at the foot of the bed, "I'm glad to see you two up."

Eli nods at her boss, "Thank you." She looks at their faces, "Are there any updates about Nico?"

The mood turns somber and Umi shakes her head. "Nothing so far."

Nozomi sits upright with the help of Rin and Maki, "What about the government?"

Honoka shakes her head, "They said they have no leads but I think they're busy with other things at the moment." She nods her head to Hanayo.

The technician brings out her laptop and begins typing on the keyboard. After a while Hanayo turns the screen around for Eli and Nozomi. The duo reads the journal headlines:

Idol Kidnapped on US soil!? Tensions rise

Is the police Incompetent?

Eli reads several more headlines before she shakes her head, "What a disaster."

Honoka nods, "Yeah they are trying to do damage control and dealing with our government as well."

"I take it they're not happy?" Nozomi prods the bandage around her head but Maki pulls her hand away.

Umi nods at the question, "No. They're not so keen that a citizen with that much fame was taken in US territory."

The CEO shakes her head, "Enough about politics." She takes a moment to look at both Eli and Nozomi, "Can you tell us what happened?"

Eli looks at Nozomi who tilts her head back at the blonde; Eli sighs and begins recounting their part after their escape from the garage. Once she was done she looks at her friends, "What happened on your parts?"

Hanayo starts first, "The disturbance at the front of the stadium seems to be a distraction to get most of our attention off of Nico for a moment. The people were random citizens and the police said that they were approached by someone who paid them in cash to cause a huge scene."

Honoka was next, "Me and Kotori were at in the backstage when everything went down." She sighs, "I couldn't do much since I didn't have my license."

Umi coughs into her fist, "Five minutes after you three escaped, the attackers immediately disengaged and retreated from the garage. After that Rin, John's colleagues, and I drove to the rendezvous point. When you were cut off from the radio we rushed throughout the designated path, hoping to find you. By the time we reached your position the both of you were unconscious and Nico was nowhere in sight."

"I see." But Eli's eyes narrows at Umi's story, _'They left after we escaped? That seems too coordinated to executed on an operation like this.'_ Eli's eyes widens, _'Unless...'_

_Knock Knock_

All of them turn toward the door to see Tsubasa peeking in, "Hey... is this a bad time?"

Honoka is the first to react, "Tsubasa?! What you doing here?"

Tsubasa and a lady wearing a black suit with a red tie walks into the room. The woman scans the room while Tsubasa starts fidgeting with her fingers, "Well..."

The suited lady walks to the door, "It's clear."

Maki starts walking toward them, "We're not having visitors at this moment."

_'Wait isn't that—'_

Alice Murgatroyd steps through the door with her guards flanking her sides, "I do hope that you would make an exception for me Miss Nishikino."

Everyone straightens their backs as Maki pauses in her stride. The doctor hesitates but she nods, "It's fine." Maki walks back to stand next to Rin and Hanayo.

Honoka hesitates before she dips her head, "It's an honor to meet you Miss Murgatroyd."

Alice returns the gesture, "And to you as well Miss Kousaka. I hope Miss Kira here is treating you nicely."

Both Tsubasa and Honoka blush while she scratches the back of her head, "Y-Yeah she is."

Alice makes her way to Eli and Nozomi while her guards stay by the door. She stops at the foot of the bed, "I offer the both of you my condolences. While I may not know what you two are experiencing right now but know that this is not your fault." Alice nods at them, "I thank you for your time." She turns around and starts walking to the door.

"W-Wait!" Everyone turns toward Eli and the blonde realizes she has her hand outstretched. Eli recovers and straightens her back. "...Can I ask for your help to find Nico?"

The room exploded with noise as people ask questions about Eli's request. The room went silent when Alice raises her hand, "Why me? Why not work with the authorities?"

Eli grips the bed-sheet as she swallows her dry throat, "It's because you have the resources and..." Eli's eyes flicker to the door for a moment.

Alice catches her line of sight, "I trust Shanghai and Hourai with my life. You can speak what is on your mind."

Eli hesitates but she nods, "...I believe there is a spy in the government."

The room explodes again but this time Umi raises her voice, "We have guests here. Compose yourself." After a few moments the guard turns to Eli, "Do you have proof?"

Eli shakes her head, "Nothing concrete but I have my reasoning. The attackers at the garage retreated almost right after we drove off in the car. We were then ambushed in the route that only a select few know. It was almost if they _wanted_ us to escape and use the route we planned."

Eli can see Umi coming to the same conclusion, "This attack was too coordinated to execute without insider information."

Alice nods at the information, "I see why you wanted my help... but why should I?"

Eli reels back into her bed, "I..."

"What do I receive should I help you?"

Eli bites her lip and stays silent. _'I should have thought this through.'_

Before the silence drags any longer, Honoka steps forward. "You can have credit for saving Nico." She now has everyone's attention. "Both countries will see you as a hero and that can give you opportunities for your business." Honoka looks at each of her employees one-by-one; everyone nods back at Honoka. "Not only that we're all willing do all of the work. We just want Nico back."

Alice stays silent as she stares at them. After a while Tsubasa steps forward, "Miss Murgatroyd I can vouch for Muse. They are capable people and I believe they can find and save Nico with our help."

"If we somehow fail you won't get the backlash from the media." Honoka adds in.

After a few moments in silence, Alice finally nods her head, "Under normal circumstances I would not accept this kind of deal. But I would not consider this normal. I will lend you my resources in this endeavor."

Honoka and everyone else bows to Alice, "Thank you."

Alice nods her head, "It is of no consequence." She turns to Tsubasa, "Miss Kira may I ask you to become their liaison for our company?"

Tsubasa snaps a salute, "I would be glad to."

"Thank you." Alice looks back to Muse, "Now I am sure that the two of you are tired so I will not be taking any more of your time. We will talk more at a later time." Alice makes her way to the door but she stops and turns around, "I hope you two have a fast recovery." The guards open the door for Alice and they leave the room.

Once the door closes Umi snaps her head at Eli, "That was incredibly risky."

Eli bows her head, "I know. I'm sorry and I should have asked all of you first."

Honoka taps the blunette's shoulder, "It's fine. I'm sure all of us would have agreed to find Nico even without Alice's help. Oh!" The ginger CEO turns to Tsubasa, "You never told us why you're here."

"Oh," The newly-appointed liaison tilts her head to the door, "The boss lady called me to come here." She shrugs, "Probably to break the ice or something. Anyway..." She turns to Eli and whips out her phone, "What can you tell about the attackers? Any details are important."

Eli gnaws the bottom of her lip as she remembers that night, "The attackers were all professionally trained but one of them has a broken knee and another one most likely has a broken sternum."

"Good," Tsubasa types on the phone. "That means they can't move long distance at the moment."

"One of them said, 'Čo do... piče?'"

"That should narrow it down," Tsubasa looks up from her phone, "Anything else?"

Eli shakes her head, "That's the most I can remember that stood out."

"Aright," The liaison pockets her phone and looks around the room, "Just as a precaution don't say any of this to the police or the Feds."

They all nod in silence. After a few moments pass, Nozomi shifts in her bed, "Hey Maki how long will it take for us to recover?"

Maki looks up for a moment before looking at Nozomi, "It would take a month before you'll be discharged from the hospital and at least another month for you to fully recover."

Nozomi shakes her head, "That's too long."

Hanayo tugs on Maki's coat, "What about the procedure you talked about?" But Maki shakes her head.

Nozomi tilts her head, "What procedure?"

Maki waves it off, "It's nothing."

"Please Maki," This time Eli joins in, "If it can help us please tell us."

Maki stays silent but she then sighs, "I have an experimental procedure that can reduce the recovery time significantly."

"By how much?"

"60-70%"

"That's-That's amazing Maki!" Honoka beams at Maki.

Nozomi tilts her head, "But there is something is there?"

Maki sighs, "The materials that are used is incredibly expensive and rare."

"What is it?"

"I use nanotechnology to manipulate embryonic stem cells."

Nozomi sinks into her bed, "...Oh."

"Ahem." Tsubasa raises her hand, "I'm sure our medical branch can help you out on that one."

Eli and Nozomi stares at Maki. The doctor crosses her arms, "I will need to check them before I can perform the procedure."

"Thank you." Eli turns to her side, "Honoka can you get me out of this bed?"

"And what do you think you're doing?" Maki was there in an instant.

Eli grips the bracelets, "I need to give these to Nozomi."

Maki sighs and turns off the machine while Honoka helps Eli up. Kotori and Umi help as they keep Eli steady when she gets out of bed. Eli limps her way there as Maki walks over and turns off Nozomi's monitor; Hanayo and Rin helps the injured guard stand. They meet halfway and the blonde opens her hand to show the mangled bracelets. Nozomi nods and places her hand on top of the bracelets.

Eli looks at everyone in turn, "We will find and rescue Nico." One by one they all nod and pile their hands on top of Nozomi's hand. _'Stay safe Nico. We'll get you soon.'_

* * *

* * *

**.**

**Fin.**

**Hoo boy talk about a dialogue-heavy chapter.**

**Now some notes:**

**-I'm not really good with deals and negotiations so yeah.**

**-Yay go science.**

**-I just realized almost all of this chapter is in one scene.**

**Well that's that so see ya next time.**

**Thanks for reading**

**Constructive criticisms are appreciated**

**Bravo Tango out.**

* * *

* * *

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

Nico breathes harshly as she stares at the black bag that covers her head. She tries wiggling but the zip-ties are still tight. Hours after her kidnapping Nico had the same feeling when she first flew in a plane. _'So I'm not in the US anymore... I hope they're okay.'_ The next day she felt herself rocking back and forth. _'Great now I'm on a boat.' _When she got off the boat, she could the scorching heat on her skin. _'Where the hell am I?'_ Today Nico is placed on top of an animal going somewhere in this scorching temperature. Just as Nico was about to fall asleep they and one of the kidnappers drop her from the animal.

Nico staggers but she catches herself, "Be more gentile will ya?" They ignore her and they push her forward. "Ass." Nico mutters and she walks forward. After some time they push her down on a chair and take off the black bag; Nico shuts her eyes as bright light flooded her senses. She blinks her eyelids and her eyes adjust to the light. The idol looks around to see herself alone in an orange-stone room.

The door opens and a man with a hat and loose clothing walks in. "Nico Yazawa yes?" He takes off his hat, "Let's get started."

Nico doesn't pay attention to the man as she keeps staring at the hat; it's a black beret. _'Eli... Nozi... please save me.'_


	21. Recuperate

**Welcome back readers. **

"Blah" — Speech

"Blah" — Speech in another language

_'Blah' _— Thoughts

[ Blah ] — Text

*_Blah_* — Sound effects in speech

(**_Blah_**) — Author's notes

**Disclaimer: I do not own any characters of Love Live! School Idol Project. This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author's imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.**

* * *

* * *

_Recuperate_

(**Nozomi's POV**)

It wasn't until a day later when John and another person walk into their hospital room. John waves to the guards, "Hey Eli. Nozomi. How are you two doing?"

Eli nods, "We're doing fine."

Nozomi nods as well, "Same. So what are you doing here?"

John gestures to the man next to him, "This is Tim Jones. He is a federal investigator assigned to this case. He has some questions for you two..." His eyes flicker to their bandages, "If you don't mind."

Nozomi and Eli nod to each other before Nozomi answers for the both of them, "We don't mind."

Tim leans over and whispers something to John's ear; he nods and looks to the ladies, "Would it be alright to speak English?"

"Sure."

"No problem."

Tim walks closer and brings out a notepad and pen, "Can you two tell me what happened?"

Eli briefly raises her uninjured hand, "I'll start first."

As Eli told her story to the investigator, Nozomi takes a quick glance at John, _'Could it be him?'_ She then looks back at Eli just as the blonde finished her story.

Tim looks up from his notepad, "Is there anything else to add? Anything that stood out to you?"

Eli pauses for a moment and shakes her head, "The only thing I noted was that they had professional training. They had black clothes and ski masks."

Tim writes it down before looking up again, "Thank you for your input." He turns to Nozomi, "Is there anything you like to add?"

Nozomi shakes her head, "Not much. Like Eli said, I was unconscious for most of the fight and I woke up when one of that attacker was about to shoot Eli." The memory made the guard grip the bed sheets, "I missed my shot but it was enough of a distraction for reinforcements to arrive."

"I see," The investigator nods as he writes down her story. Once done, He stands up and nods to the both of them, "Thank you both for your cooperation. Your information can prove valuable to us."

Eli nods back, "We are happy to help as long as it helps Nico."

Tim and John bid their farewells and leave the room. Nozomi waits a few more moments and then turns to the blonde, "Was it really a good idea?"

Eli slowly breathes out and closes her eyes, "I hope it is."

The conversation was cut short when the door opens to show Maki, Tsubasa, and Honoka. Their boss is the first to speak, "We just saw John and some other guy leave. You two ready?"

Nozomi nods, "Yes but is the hospital okay with this?"

Maki tilts her head to Tsubasa as she disconnects Nozomi's machines, "We were able to convince them to discharge and leave you to our care." With the liaison's help, they helped Nozomi down on a wheelchair.

Eli turns Honoka as Maki walks over to her machine, "How were things on your end?"

Honoka helps Maki carry Eli down to her wheelchair, "We were able clear out most of our things from HQ. Anything we borrowed is left at the place since Ryu said he'll take care of it."

Tsubasa pushes Nozomi to the rest of the party as Nozomi asks, "Where are the others by the way?"

After securing Eli to the wheelchair, Honoka looks at Nozomi, "They'll be meeting us at Sphera Plaza."

Nozomi looks up at Tsubasa, "I do hope you have better food there." That brought a few chuckles out of them.

Maki walks over and holds the door for them, "Let's go."

.

. . . . . . . . . .

.

_Sphera HQ_

"Nozomi! Eli!"

The purple-haired guard turns her head to see the rest of Muse waiting for them as they were rolled out of the van. Nozomi waves her uninjured hand, "Hey everyone!" Honoka and Tsubasa rolls the incapacitated guards toward them, "Have you been waiting long?"

Umi shakes her head, "No. We arrived here five minutes before you did."

_Bzzt_

Honoka takes out her phone to see a message. She then looks at the other guards and gestures at the wheelchairs, "Can you two take over?" Umi and Rin nod as they took over the handles.

Now free to walk ahead, Tsubasa gestures to the doors, "Ready to go inside?" They all nod and follow the liaison through the doors. The first thing Nozomi sees is a large plaza with various buildings that are higher than six floors.

"Whoa," Rin murmurs from behind Nozomi.

_'I'm sure Nicocchi would be so jealous...'_ Nozomi shakes her head and sighs, _'Now's not the time.'_ She then looks in front of them to see a modified jeep and two other jeeps waiting for them. With some help everyone got in and they drove toward one of the buildings. As they drove farther into the plaza, Nozomi notes that large parts of the area are sectioned off for small helicopters.

"Are those tanks?!"

Nozomi and the others turn to the direction of Rin's finger; there are tanks parked in a large clearing.

Tsubasa seems to smile in pride, "Yup. And that's not all." She points at another clearing that has some kind of weaponized-drone walking in uneven terrain. "That bad boy is about to be approved for field use. There's still some kinks left to fix."

"Oh gosh that's unbelievable!" It's impossible to miss the gushing in Hanayo's voice.

_'All of this technology.'_ Nozomi almost shudders as different forms of drones maneuver around them.

"Ah." Tsubasa points the building in front of them as the convoy stops. "We're here." They all got out and she turns to the group, "If you want you can take a tour of the area."

They all look at Honoka who nods back, "Let's go. We need to be familiar with the resources they have for us." She looks at Eli and Nozomi, "Hope you two recover soon."

Eli nods at Honoka, "Don't worry about us."

Tsubasa waves over several soldiers, "Give these five a tour of HQ and they have permission from Miss Murgatroyd to use most of our resources."

They snap a salute, "Yes Ma'am!" They guide Muse to another building close by.

Tsubasa grabs onto the handles behind Nozomi's wheelchair, "Let's get you two situated."

It took about five minutes before they reach into a room that have two hospital beds and a curved plasma-screen TV planted on one side of the wall. Nozomi grunts as they help her into the bed and then did the same thing for Eli. Just as they settled in a woman in a doctor's coat walks in. "Hello I am Dr. Gwen Lu and I am the director of the medical division." When she sees Maki her eyes shine and she makes her way toward the redhead with her hand out, "It is an honor to meet you Dr. Nishikino."

Maki nods as she accepts the hand, "Likewise Dr. Lu."

Tsubasa coughs into her fist, "Dr. Lu." The doctors turn to her, "Miss Murgatroyd has given permission for Dr. Nishikino to utilize our resources."

Maki nods at Gwen, "I hope that is not too much trouble."

Gwen shakes her head, "Oh not at all." She gestures to the door, "Our facility has the necessary materials for your procedure."

Maki turns to Eli and Nozomi, "It will take some time to verify and make sure everything is in order..." The doctor looks at the clock for a moment, "A day at most."

Eli gives a nod, "It's no problem Maki."

Nozomi smiles, "It's not like we can go anywhere."

The doctors bid their farewells and leave the room.

After they left Tsubasa points at phone near their bed, "Press 3 if you two need anything." She then picks up a remote and places near Nozomi, "In case you get bored. Any questions?"

Nozomi and Eli shake their heads, "No."

Tsubasa peeks at her phone and then look at them, "I'm going to meet up with the others so I can set up rooms for them." She gives them a wave, "I'll see you two later."

The guards bow their heads, "Thank you."

Tsubasa smiles, "Glad to help." She gives one final wave and leaves the room.

The room falls mostly silent save for the consistent beeping of the machine. Nozomi then looks to Eli, "Want to watch something?"

.

_A day later..._

.

_'Yum.'_

Nozomi was enjoying a nice stack of waffles when Maki walks in with a stack of folders. She gulps down her food and plaster on a smile at the doctor, "Hi Maki. Is the procedure good to go?"

Maki blinks her eyes at that, "...So far everything seems to be in order." She opens the first folder, "I'm here to discuss the procedure in detail. First..."

_20 minutes later..._

"...And so the procedure—"

_BANG_

Nozomi jumps in her bed as she sees Hanayo in the doorway gasping for air with her laptop in her hands.

"Hanayo?" Maki walks over and puts her hand on Hanayo's back, "What's wrong?"

Hanayo looks around and points at the TV.

"What is it?"

Hanayo just moves in that direction and Maki supports her along the way. Once there the techie opens both the TV and her laptop. "We... found... it's on live..." Hanayo gets her breathing back as she presses the laptop. "There's a video of Nico being broadcasted live over the Net."

Before anyone could question her, the TV flashes into life and Nico is shown on screen.

"Nico..." Eli whispers the name.

"Nicocchi..." Nozomi's hands trembles, "She's alive." After several seconds the guard starts to notices everything else in the video. Nico is the only one in the video; the idol's face is pale and she seems to wearing rags as her clothes. Nico seems to be trembling as she holds onto a piece of cardboard. She then opens her mouth:

"Tyrants of the First World, 

Y-You have failed in your attempts to stop the Brotherhood. You thought you have won but you're sorely mistaken for we are still here. What we want is simple: We want you to release our brother you have captured and give us the soldiers that attacked us. Failure to do so—" Nico's eyes go wide as she stops the message. She then looks up and shies back at something off-screen. "Failure to do so will result in the termination of Nico Yazawa. Praise...Praise" Nico grits her teeth and throws the cardboard at something. "I'm in some kind of desert and cave!" Somebody ran in and tries to muffle Nico, "Hel—"

The stream cuts off and only static remains.

Nozomi stares at the screen as she is barely aware that the rest of Muse is with them.

Eli voices snaps her out of her stupor, "Hanayo were you able to record it?"

The technician jumps and turns to the blonde, "I-Uh-Yes."

"Go back six seconds before it cuts off." Hanayo did so. "Play." The video plays again as the person has their back toward the camera. "Freeze." Eli narrows her eyes, "It can't be..."

Nozomi looks around the video to look for what shook the blonde. Her eyes stop at the top of the head and she gasps as well; it was the black beret. _'I thought he died.'_ The guard whips her head to the doctor, "Maki." The redhead turns to Nozomi. "Do the procedure."

"But—"

"Now."

Maki hesitates but she nods at her, "Everyone move out of the way!" Maki points at the nurses and then at the incapacitated duo, "Prep them for surgery!"

People scramble out of the room for the nurses to push Eli and Nozomi to the operating room. As Nozomi passes them, she catches Tsubasa leaning toward Honoka, "The boss lady called for an emergency meeting. We have to go..."

.

. . . . . . . . . .

.

"Mnn." Nozomi opens her eyes and tries to lift her body up, _'It feels like I ran through two marathons.'_

"Good to see you two awake."

The guard turns her head to see Maki standing next to her bed with a clipboard while Eli drags her upper body off the bed. "Hey—" Nozomi coughs and Maki offers her a cup; the guard greedily drinks the water, "Thanks."

"How do you two feel?"

Nozomi places the cup back on the table, "Like I ran twenty miles nonstop."

Maki looks at Eli who nods while nursing her cup, "Same."

"Well..." Maki writes something on her clipboard, "The operation was a success. The soreness is just your body adapting to the rapid recovery we implemented. It should take you about a week for full recovery."

Nozomi sighs, "That is great." She smiles at the doctor, "Thank you Maki."

Maki smiles back and nods, "It's no problem."

_Knock Knock_

They all turn to see Alice and her guards at the door. "I hope we are not intruding."

Maki shakes her head, "No. They just woke up."

"Then this is the perfect moment." Alice walks in and takes a seat, "We should talk about this new development."

Nozomi grips the sheets as Eli speaks first, "What happened?"

Alice crosses her legs as she looks at both of them. "Hours after that stream ended, TV news stations from both countries have shown the video to the public. Since then both governments are initially in disarray from external and internal pressure. My sources have given me information that the Japanese is pressuring the Americans to take action."

"And what about you?" Eli asks, "Is our deal still valid?"

Alice's eyes seem to twinkle at the dismissal of the two nations. "The deal is still valid."

Nozomi and Eli sigh in—

"With a few conditions." Seeing their wary stares Alice continues, "I made sure it will not obstruct you or endanger Nico in any way. But there will be no compromise. I also have one question for you." Alice clasps her hands and places them on her lap. "Are you two ready to do what is necessary to help Nico?"

"...What?"

"With this new development, I can speculate that Nico is not here in the US anymore and in another country. Since we cannot trust the authorities at the moment, we will operate by ourselves with no regulation and deal with people from... the underground. There will come a time where any of you will perform actions that others deem illegal."

Nozomi and Eli turn to each other; they nod at each other and Nozomi speaks. "We still want to save Nico... no matter the cost."

Alice stares at them for a while before she nods to herself, "I will have my sources to look for any information on Nico."

Nozomi sighs in relief, _'The benefits of being a private company.'_ She dips her head, "Thank you for doing this."

Alice nods at them and stands up from her chair.

"Ah." Nozomi perks up, "What about the others?"

Alice smiles and tilts her head to the door, "You should ask them."

Nozomi looks at the door to see Honoka at the door waving at them, "Hey."

"I'll take my leave." Alice walks out of the room so Honoka and the rest of Muse walks in.

Honoka starts off, "Good to see you two up again."

"Are all of you staying?" Eli asks the crew. She bites her lip, "I... I would understand if any of you would want to back out with this new kind of threat."

They all look at each other before Honoka steps up, "We're staying." The other answers in kind.

"Of course."

"For sure."

"Hell yeah nya!"

"Certainly."

Nozomi looks at everyone as her hands trembles. _'Nicocchi you have wonderful friends.'_ She looks down at her sheets, "Thank you...so much."

Everyone smiles and stays quiet to enjoy this moment. It took a few more moments before Nozomi looks back up and wipes her face. She then hears Eli's voice, "What is Ryu doing by the way?"

Honoka answers, "While you two were in the operation he called me to tell me that he's going back to Japan. He figured he could be a bigger help to Nico back at home rather than staying here and doing nothing."

Nozomi tilts her head, "How?"

"He said that he'll keep Nico's career afloat and make sure Nico's family isn't harassed too much."

_'I can't believe I forgot about them.'_

It seems Eli had a similar thought, "How are they?"

"Initially they were hounded by people asking questions but..." Honoka grins at Maki, "Our doctor here sent guards to scare the harassers off."

Maki averts her eyes and plays with her hair, "People should more respectful about this."

Her behavior elicits a chuckle out of everyone.

"So Maki," Eli touches the new scar on her arm. "When can get out of bed?"

The doctor looks at the clock, "Tomorrow."

"Great." Nozomi grins, _'I can't wait to what they have to offer us.'_

* * *

* * *

**.**

**And fin.**

**So yeah I really hope this will be the last time people stood around and talked. Sorry. Anyway school just started and I'm trying to adjust to the new schedule. Hopefully I can finish this by the end of the semester but I will put this on hiatus and focus on my workload. There might even be a chance I finish this next year...I really hope not...**

**But that's enough about me so see ya next time.**

**Thanks for reading**

**Constructive criticisms are appreciated**

**Bravo Tango out.**

* * *

* * *

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

_GASP_

Nico coughs out any water that went down her trachea; She takes deep breaths as water drips from her hair.

"That was a very stupid thing to do Nico. If you had followed the script you wouldn't be punished."

Nico tries to look up as two men hold her over a barrel of water, "Why... Why me?"

"Why?" He shrugs, "After watching your little speech in front of that news station, I knew you are the perfect target." He spread his arms, "An international superstar captured in US soil. Those Tyrants have taken a hit and lost the trust of the people."

Nico wearily shakes her head, "They'll find me."

He chuckles, "Doubtful." He looks to the people holding Nico, "That'll be it for today. I'm sure our idol enjoyed her bath."

Nico stays slack as the soldiers drag her back to her cell.


	22. Train

**Hello my amazing viewers! **

"Blah" — Speech

"Blah" — Speech in another language

_'Blah' _— Thoughts

[ Blah ] — Text

*_Blah_* — Sound effects in speech

(**_Blah_**) — Author's notes

**Disclaimer: I do not own any characters of Love Live! School Idol Project. This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author's imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.**

* * *

* * *

_Train_

Eli raises her arm to the side of her face just as a fist crashes into her arm. The blonde slightly turns her body to thrust a jab into her opponent's face. The blow struck the helmet and forced the attacker to stagger backwards.

Eli raises her hands up to her face and rushes her opponent. The attacker kicks his leg out toward Eli. She shifts to the side as the leg passes right by her chest. Eli wraps one of her arm around the attacker's leg and swings her leg at the heel; the attacker falls down and Eli lowers her body to keep balance.

The blonde shifts her arms to squeeze around the ankle and she pulls upward.

"Arrgh!" The attacker taps the floor, "I yield! I yield!"

Eli immediately relaxes her arms and the leg drops to the floor. She bends down and holds her hand out, "Thank you for the fight."

Her sparring partner accepts the hand and stands up from the floor, "No problem." Once the both of them are standing, they give one last handshake and they leave the area.

Eli looks around the room to see numerous mercenaries practicing their hand-to-hand skills. The blonde walks over to the bench to see Nozomi and Maki already there. Her partner smiles, "That was a good fight Elichi."

"Thanks." The blonde picks up a water bottle and towel, "How was your fight?" She then takes a swig.

Nozomi shrugs, "It went well. My opponent tried to drag it out but I was able to surprise her."

Eli wipes her face and turns to the doctor, "Was this our last test?"

"Well..." Maki flips through her notes, "Your speed, stamina, muscle strength and endurance have improved." The redhead nods at them, "You two have made a full recovery and then some."

Nozomi does a small fist-pump, "Nice."

Maki collects her notes, "Since you two recovered, I'll be heading back to Japan soon."

Eli sits down on the bench next to Nozomi. _'So two weeks have passed since that video.'_

Nozomi looks up at Maki, "Why not stay for a while longer?"

Maki shakes her head as she tucks her notes under her arm, "I've been away from my company for too long."

"Aw," Nozomi slumps her shoulders. She then waggles her eyebrows at the redhead, "Be sure to have a farewell-party with Rin and Hanayo."

Maki's cheeks light up and she speed-walks out of the room.

Eli raises her eyebrow, "Did you have to do that?"

"What?" Nozomi leans back on the bench, "It's not good to be stressed all the time."

Before Eli could respond she sees Honoka walking through the door. As their boss stops in front of them, the blonde nods her head, "Hey Honoka."

She nods at them, "Yo Eli. Nozomi." Honoka waves them over, "We've got a lead."

.

. . . . . . . . . . .

.

_Command Center_

Once Eli entered the room she notes countless digital screens and the technicians manning them. She spots Tsubasa, Umi, Rin, and another woman standing behind their technician.

"C'mon." Honoka waves them to follow as she walks to the group.

They reached to the group and they greeted each other. The woman holds out her hand, "I'm Jane Miller and I'm the commander for this operation."

Eli shakes her hand, "Eli Ayase. What's this about an op?"

The woman tilts her head to the biggest screen in the room; it's showing a thermal imaging of a house with two blotches of red inside.

Eli looks back at the group, "What is this?"

Tsubasa is the one to answer, "Thanks to your info, we found out some of the attackers are Slovakian." She gestures to Hanayo and the workers around them, "It took some time but we were able to find all Slovakians entering Los Angeles." Tsubasa pats Hanayo's chair, "Hanayo here actually found a group of them staying in an empty house."

Rin beams at that, "That's great Kayo-chin!" The techie shrinks in her chair at the praise. Rin tilts, "Wait how come they are still here?"

Umi answers, "It could be that these two are the ones that Eli incapacitated." The blunette looks at the screen to see the blotches staying in place. "It seems they were left behind because they could not use any hospitals."

Jane jumps in, "You could ask them when they get here." She taps her ear, "Get into position." Eli then notices other blotches surrounding the building. "Change the camera." The screen changes to video of a POV camera attached to one of the operatives.

The mercenaries take position along the walls, "We're in position."

"Execute."

The camera briefly shows a couple of soldiers throwing stun grenades through the window. The view then shifts to the ground.

_BANG_

_BANG_

"GO GO GO!" The person positions themselves in front of the door to kick it. The soldiers rush into the building. They spot one man laying down on a bed and the other sitting on the couch.

"HANDS UP!" The one at the couch was about to reach for the gun but froze in place. "HANDS UP!" The both of them slowly comply.

Now that the screen is stable, the blond is able to study the incapacitated kidnappers; the one on the bed has bandages around his chest while the other one has a makeshift splint around his leg. Eli almost smiles at their state but she stops herself, _'Wait what was that?'_ Eli takes the time to look around and she stops at Rin; she bits her lips, _'Rin...'_

Jane nods, "Good extract them back to base. The other team will clean up the area." She turns to Muse, "It'll take some time before we can get anything from those two."

Eli nods at Jane and then to Honoka, "I suggest we should start our squad exercise."

Honoka nods her head, "Okay. I'll be here to see if anything changes."

Eli tilts her head to the door, "Let's go." Umi, Rin, and Nozomi follow after the blonde.

.

. . . . . . . . . . .

.

_Hallway_

"Um Eli this is the dorms."

Eli continues walking, "I know. I need to talk to you." They reach inside Eli and Nozomi's room; Eli closes the door and looks at Rin, "I think you should step out for this one."

Rin recoils at the blunt statement, "W-What?" She tries to recover, "Why not!? Isn't this our job?"

Eli shakes her head, "Not like this. We trained you against amateurs, not professionally trained terrorists."

"I—" Rin shakes her head, "No... No!"

Nozomi raises her hand, "Rin—"

"Nico is my friend!" Rin grips her elbow, "I failed her by not being there. I can't..." She shakes her head, "Not this time."

"Can you kill someone?" Eli steps closer to Rin, "Can you aim a gun at them and pull the trigger?"

"I—"

"Because they will not hesitate to kill you."

Nozomi places a hand on her partner's shoulder, "Eli."

Rin bolts out of the door. Umi sighs and follows after the newbie, "I will talk to her. In the meantime..." Umi stops at the door to look back at the duo. "While I do agree to some of your points, you could have handled the subject in another way. I suggest you to take a break to cool your head." The blunette closes the door behind her.

Eli sighs and pinches the bridge of her nose, _'Goddamn it.'_

Nozomi steps closer to the blonde, "What going on Elichi? You never acted this way before."

"Rin needs to understand how dangerous these people are."

Nozomi stares at her partner, "...It's not just about that is it?"

Eli draws in a deep breath and looks at Nozomi, "...I love her Nozomi and I know you love her too." Nozomi widens her eyes as the blonde continues, "Seeing her held hostage like that, a part of me thinks we won't see her again and I hate it. We didn't get the chance to say it to her."

Nozomi suddenly clasps her hands around Eli's hands, "We will rescue Nico! We have the largest company in the world as our ally and you have us." She places her hands on either side of Eli's head. "Trust us Eli... Trust me."

Eli stares in shock at Nozomi's face. After a few moments in silence the blonde sighs and rests her forehead against Nozomi's forehead. "Thanks."

"Mnn." Nozomi waits for a few seconds before she speaks again, "Will you give Rin a chance? I know that she is a civilian but this is our job. We have to be prepared to take action to protect our friends."

"...Okay."

"C'mon." Nozomi tugs Eli hands to their bed, "Let's take a break before we go back outside."

Eli follows after Nozomi.

.

. . . . . . . . . . .

.

_Simulation Dome_

"Eli."

The blonde turns around to see Rin standing there; the blonde can see her resolve in her eye, "Yes?"

"I know that this is extremely dangerous and these are very dangerous people but I am ready to do what—"

"You can stay."

"—but I will—" Rin blinks her eyes, "What?"

"You can stay. But know this..." Eli points at a group of mercenaries posing as the enemy, "I will make sure that you are prepared for anything and we will be unmerciful. Are you prepared?"

Rin nods, "I'm ready."

.

_Days later..._

.

"Again."

For days Eli and the others have been pushing Rin in her training. Right now they are practicing a squad exercise in a cave setting. Eli controls her breathing as they reach the starting area. Just as they were about to start the simulation, Eli phone rings. The blonde takes it out to see Honoka's number and she answers the phone. "Yes Honoka?"

"We captured the spy."

"Really? How?" The others have stopped and watch Eli. She turns on the speaker.

"The commander had her operatives watching the safe house. It took a while but the spy came to check on the house. He's in the interrogation room now."

"We'll go there."

"Okay I'll see you there." The line cuts off.

Eli looks at the others who nod back and they leave the room.

.

. . . . . . . . . . .

.

Eli steps into the room to see Tsubasa, Honoka, and other employees in the room. "Honoka. Tsubasa?"

Tsubasa nods at them while their boss turns around to face them, "Hey." Honoka then tilts her head to a digital screen, "The spy is in the other room."

The blonde looks at the screen and her body tenses.

Rin is the first to comment, "Isn't that the guy who got shot at the garage?"

"Yes," Honoka nods, "Steven Nash... if that's his real name."

Eli's body shakes as she glares at the man sitting in the room. _'It's his fault that Nico is gone.'_

She then feels a hand wrapping her hand; she turns her head to see Nozomi at her side. "Eli."

The blonde takes a deep breath and slowly releases the tension. "Thanks." Her partner smiles. Eli smiles back and focuses on the interrogation.

"...With these kinds of evidences you could be charged with treason and be labeled as a traitor for helping terrorists." Steven stays silent.

The interrogator sighs and opens the folder, "I see that you have a lovely wife a two-month-old baby." Steven twitches.

The interrogator taps the table, "This may seems like a coincidence but that seems to be around the time the US lead a joint strike against the Brotherhood." Steven's eye twitches. "It seems they had to do a C-section on your wife and your baby almost didn't make it. Because of that their leader died because you didn't have time to inform them. I believe they gave you a second chance to redeem yourself otherwise you wouldn't be here."

"...What do you want?"

"Where's Nico Yazawa?"

He shakes his head, "I don't know."

The interrogator sighs and starts packing up, "How disappointing Mr. Nash."

Steven starts to sweat, "I really don't know! Look I only make contact with their second-in-command. Ever since the attack the brotherhood moved their base and wouldn't tell me." He sighs, "They threatened my family if I didn't give information on the idol and fail them a second time." He drops his head down onto his hands, "I'm sorry."

The interrogator stays silent as he tilts his head to the side. Eli spots an earbud in his ear and turns to Tsubasa, "Who is he listening to?"

Tsubasa taps her earpiece, "...It's the boss lady. She's giving a deal for the spy."

The guards look back as the interrogator leans forward, "How about we make a deal Steven? We can offer you and your family protection from the Brotherhood. In return you give us information and we will wipe them off from the face of the world. Not only that we will pretend that you were a spy and you can live out your life here with your family."

Steven gapes at him, "...Isn't that illegal?"

The interrogator shrugs, "We're not the government."

"...I really don't know where she is."

"Any information can help us."

Steven frowns as he stares off into space. After a few moments of silence he perks up, "Wait." He focuses back on the interrogator. "I heard that they are making a weapons deal to resupply their assets."

The interrogator starts to scribble down on a piece of paper, "Where and when?"

"Somewhere in Greece... I think in Athens. The deal will be made...I think in about three weeks."

The interrogator nods, "Thank you for your cooperation Steven. We'll make sure your family is safe."

Eli looks around as everyone moves into action; Tsubasa is on the phone as the technicians rapidly types on their keyboards. The blonde then makes her way to the door.

"Where are you going?"

Eli turns to Honoka, "We need to get ready and move." Honoka nods and the crew leave the room.

Rin catches up to Eli, "Have you ever been to Greece?"

"A few times in my travels."

"We also had a client at Greece before you joined," Nozomi chimes in as they pile in a jeep and drove off.

Rin tilts her head, "I guess this would be my first time."

Umi pats Rin's shoulder as they returned to the simulation dome, "Do not worry Rin. We will make sure to teach you about their language and culture."

They reached inside the dome and got off the vehicle. "But for now..." Eli puts on a vest as the dome shifts into an urban setting. "We train."

* * *

* * *

**.**

**Fin.**

**The crew is finally on the move. **

**Now for the future: **

**Welp my school schedule is finally kicking into full gear. That means that I will focus on papers, volunteer work, and presentations...what fun. So I'll see you guys... next month?**

**Thanks for reading**

**Constructive criticisms are appreciated**

**Bravo Tango out.**

* * *

* * *

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

Nico looks up as the door opens to show the black beret and an older man. "Hello Nico."

"What do you want?"

"Don't be like that." Black beret walks closer and Nico finally notices a bag in his arms. He walks behind her and she hears a soft thud.

Nico tries to control her breathing, "W-What are you doing?"

"Nothing much." Nico feels something on the top of her head, "Did you know your hair can hide a lot of things?"

The idol sees a flash of metal at the corner of her eye. _'It's a knife!'_ Nico starts to panic and thrash about.

"Hey! Hold stil—"

"ARRRGH!" Pain flashes around her left eye. She then feels two hand gripping her head; she opens her other eye to see the other man in front of her.

Through the haze she hears him barking orders, "You! Get the medic. You! get a bucket of water." It felt like minutes when another man comes in. The new arrival replaces the older man and starts to inspect the wound.

In the background she hears someone arguing:

"Что делаешь?"

"Я просто надел ее стрижкой."

_Sigh_ "Еще не поздно отпустить ее."

"Нет! Аyase нужно получить то, что ждет ее."

_'Ayase? Isn't that—'_ The man injects something into Nico and she starts to feel sleepy. _'Eli's...'_


	23. Counterstrike

**Alas I have returned.**

"Blah" — Speech

"Blah" — Speech in another language

_'Blah' _— Thoughts

[ Blah ] — Text

*_Blah_* — Sound effects in speech

(**_Blah_**) — Author's notes

**Disclaimer: I do not own any characters of Love Live! School Idol Project. This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author's imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.**

* * *

* * *

_First Counter Strike_

_"...It has been weeks since Nico Yazawa's capture and there is still no news—"_

_"—The Prime Minister is pressuring—"_

_CLICK_

Nozomi turns her head to the front car as the radio was switched off. Umi turns her head to face Nozomi and Eli, "We're here."

Nozomi turns back to the window as the car gradually stops in front of a house. Nozomi and the others step out of the car; the purplenette looks up to the sky as the sun sets in the horizon. _'Never imagined coming home like this.'_ Nozomi sighs as she jogs to the house to catch up with the others.

As the crew reach to the front of the house they spot a SUV driving up to them. A couple of suited men steps out of the car and one of them steps up to the Muse guards, "Ms. Hoshizora?"

Rin raises her eyebrow, "Yes?"

The guard gestures to the SUV, "Miss Nishikino is waiting for you."

"Eh?" Rin tilts her head to get a better angle, "Maki?"

"Get in Rin." Even though the voice was muffled it was clear the doctor is in the car.

Rin looks back at her team; Umi tilts her head to the car. Rin gets in the car and then the driver steps out of the car. Umi turns to Nozomi and Eli, "I will stay here with Rin. You two should go inside."

Nozomi nods, "Got it."

The both of them walk to the front and Eli knocks on the door, "Mrs. Yazawa?"

Nozomi sees the lights turn on, "Be right there." She hears shuffling inside the house for a few seconds before the door opens to reveal Junko. "I thought I told you to call me Junko."

The blond dips her head, "Sorry."

The older Yazawa weakly smiles, "It's good to see you two again."

Nozomi smiles back, "Same."

Junko steps back, "Come in. I'll get some tea ready."

"You don't have to." Nozomi and Eli follow Junko inside the house. "We won't be here for long."

"Oh." they lapse into silence.

Nozomi starts to fidget and look around the house, "Where are the kids?"

Junko looks back as they stop in the living room, "They're staying late at school to help out the festival." She sighs, "It's good that they can focus on something else."

Eli furrows her brows, "Has anyone been giving you trouble?"

Junko shakes her head, "It's better now."

"Now?"

Junko sighs again, "It was difficult to get out of the house ever since... ever since Nico was captured."

Nozomi grips her elbow while Eli averts her eyes.

"Stop it." They flinch and look back to Junko staring back at them, "I don't blame you two. What happened has happened. What matters is that we have to be there for Nico when she comes back." The guards nod and Junko leans back on the sofa. "Anyway, the reporters would harass us all day until men in suits came by and scared them off."

_'Maki's security.'_

"I asked them who they were and they just said their boss is Nico's friend." Junko shrugs, "The reporters stopped harassing my kids and that was enough for me. But enough about me. How are you two doing?"

Nozomi glances at Eli who nods back, "We're doing fine. We just wanted to check on you and the kids."

The older Yazawa smiles, "Thank you."

_Ding_

"Sorry." Nozomi bring out her phone to see a message from Umi :

[ We should go. Plane is ready at the airport and Rin is done on her part. ]

Nozomi looks up to Eli and nods at her. She then looks at Junko, "I'm sorry to cut this short but we have to go."

"You're doing something aren't you?"

"..."

"..."

"You two don't seem the type to sit still." Junko closes her eyes, "Whatever it is I don't care. Just please bring my Nico home."

Nozomi and Eli bow their heads, "We will." They start walking to the door and Nozomi hears a soft _Thank you_ from behind her. As the duo gets out of the house they see the car gone and the rest of the squad waiting. Nozomi turns to Rin, "How did it go with Maki?"

Rin chuckles as she averts her eyes and scratches her neck, "She wasn't too happy about me going against terrorists. But I' not gonna back out."

Nozomi pats her shoulder, "She's just worried for you so give her time."

Rin nods, "Yeah."

"Right." Nozomi looks at everyone, "Let's go to Greece shall we?"

.

. . . . . . . . . . . .

.

The cool breeze is the first thing Nozomi feels as she steps off the jet and walks down the stairs. Once on the ground, the guard drops her luggage and stretches her arms as she scans the area. _'It feels like most airports had the same designer.'_

"Hello!"

Nozomi and the crew turn toward the sound to see a dark-skinned woman with sunglasses on top of her brown hair walking toward them. As she comes closer Nozomi makes out small Sphera logo on her khaki shorts and a pistol holster attached to her waist. The woman stops in front of them and smiles, "You must be Muse correct?"

Umi is the first to start the greeting, "Yes we are."

The woman smiles and holds out her hand, "Great! I'm Iris. I'll be the one in charge of this op." The guards shook her hand and gave their respective names. After the introductions Iris claps her hands, "Alright! Welcome to Greece! I'll drive you to our base." The brunette tilts her head to the side and began walking in that direction, "C'mon the car is close." There is a jeep not far from the jet.

The party picks up their luggage and jogs after Iris. They drop off their luggage and piled into the car; Umi is in the passenger seat while Nozomi, Eli, and Rin are seated in the back. After everyone buckled their seat belts, Iris starts the car and drives off. The car falls into silence as the airport disappears from behind them. After a few more moments of silence Nozomi tries to break it, "So Iris," She waits until she has the driver's attention, "How did Sphera get a base here?"

"Oh well..." Iris pauses as she turns a corner, "It was a really complicated situation so I'll keep the story simple. Greece was really in a rough situation about four or five years ago. But Sphera came in and offered a solution. The government took the deal and we get..." Iris pats her holster, "Special privileges."

Umi turns to Iris, "Has the deal made any noticeable changes?"

Iris shrugs, "Too early to tell but I think so."

"How so?"

The brunette grins, "I got this job. Oh!" She points behind Umi, "Look over there."

Everyone looks in that direction and Rin gasps, "Oh my god!" She pushes her face against the window to get a better angle. "That looks amazing!"

_'Agreed.'_ Even though Nozomi already saw it, the Parthenon still takes her breath away. She leans closer to Eli, "We should take Nico here sometime."

Eli nods, "We will."

For the rest of the drive Iris would point at various buildings, "...The chef over there makes some delicious gyro. I should buy some for later. Oh!" Iris slows down as she passes through a gate and stops in front of a building, "We're here."

Nozomi steps out of the car and looks up to the building; it looks like a compound with a three-story main house and other houses around it. The guard looks around to see tan walls surrounding the buildings.

A couple of Sphera operators walk over to Iris and salute to her. They spoke in Greek but it was too fast for Nozomi to follow. After a while Iris nods and turns to Muse, "C'mon!" She waves them to the door. "Let's go to the back."

They pick up their luggage and follow Iris as she leads them to the back. As she opens the back door Nozomi sees around twenty Sphera members lounging around in the backyard. Most of them seem to be natives while some of them are not from Greece.

Umi turns to Iris, "Is this everyone?"

"The rest are on patrol and scouting the area."

_'It's almost a platoon.'_

"Hey boss." That catches the operators' attention.

Iris claps, "Alright we got big news. We just got word that Bishamonten is here." The operators started to murmur among themselves.

Rin tilts her head, "Bishamonten?"

Iris turns around, "An arms dealer. She uses myths in the country she was last seen as her moniker. Her last sighting was in China."

Eli walks closer, "Did you find out where the deal is taking place?"

"So far no." The brunette waves at one of the members, "Get me a map." The person runs inside the house while the other operators clear out the table in front of them. A moment later, the operator comes back and lays the map of Athens on the table. Iris points at the docks, "We believe that the Brotherhood is using ships to carry the supplies so I have scouts stationed at each port to report anything unusual."

Umi nods, "It makes sense."

"So for now I will assign a small team to tail Bishamonten."

Nozomi joins in, "So what do we do?"

Iris turns to Nozomi, "Unfortunately you four will have to stay here." Rin opens her mouth but Iris quickly elaborates, "The Brotherhood will most likely recognize your faces. Not only that..." She looks at each Muse guard in turn, "You ladies won't blend in very well with the neighbors."

"Hey boss." One of the mercenary pipes up, "Who's our guests?"

Iris slaps her forehead, "Oh right," She gestures to Muse, "Everyone I would like you to meet Umi, Rin, Eli, and Nozomi. They were sent here from HQ."

_'So much for teaching Rin about Greek.'_ Nozomi sighs, _'Might as well get to know them.'_ She and the rest of Muse greet their fellow operators.

.

. . . . . . . . . . . .

.

_Three days later..._

Nozomi sighs as she places a map down on the table and rubs her eyes; it was possible plans of action on every port. _'How much longer do we have to wait?'_ She looks to the side to see Umi watching over Rin as the young guard dissembles her pistol. She turns to the other side to see Eli hunched over staring at pieces of paper on the table. Nozomi was about to stand up when the door opens.

"We got a location." Iris and a couple operators stride into the room.

Everyone stops and Eli stands up, "Where?"

Iris walks over to the map that is hanging from the wall; she taps at one of the docks. "Here. My scouts reported men acting unusual there."

Umi walks over, "How so?"

"The suspects are just walking around the docks. We checked their faces and they weren't dock workers."

"The Brotherhood?" Eli asks.

Iris nods, "We believe so." She then points to an area close to the docks, "My other team reported that Bishanonten and her personal guards are on the move." She looks at everyone, "The deal is going to happen soon. Maybe during night time. Gear up."

Everyone scrambles around the room to grab their gear.

_Thirty minutes later..._

Nozomi peeks out of the window to watch numerous people walking out of a ferry. After a while she steps back and sits next to Eli as a few operators check over their G3; She looks down on her Glock 17 in the holster attached to her vest. _'A shame we can't use anything heavy-hitting.'_

Nozomi turns her head as the door opens to show Iris walking inside with bags in her hands. "Got some Gyro while we wait." She places the bag on the table, "Dig in."

_Night time..._

Nozomi peeks out the window to see the port mostly empty with a few workers here and there. She then hears one of the operator's voices on her ear, "We have two vics coming to the entrance."

Nozomi looks back to see Iris with her hand on her ear. "Alright the arms dealer is coming to the docks."

The guard picks up a binocular and scans the area. After a few moments Nozomi sees two cars pull up to the entrance. Nozomi follows the cars as it stops in front of the cargo containers. The doors open and five people step out of the cars. Nozomi zooms in on the woman with black hair that trails all the way down her knees. _'So that's Bishamonten huh?'_

Nozomi hears Eli's voice, "It seems the Brotherhood is planning to betray her."

_'Huh?'_ Nozomi scans the area again and her eyes widen; there are several men holding assault rifles and hiding from the arms dealer.

One of the operator's voice filters through the comms, "Boss do we keep to the plan?"

Nozomi looks back to see Iris with one of her hands on her chin.

"Boss we got two more vics coming in."

Nozomi looks into her binoculars to see two SUVs pull up and stop some distance in front Bishamonten's group. The doors open and Nozomi could not hold her gasp; One of the men has his left arm in a sling. He seems to be in command as the other passengers in the car came out of the car and form a perimeter around him. She immediately turns to her partner, "Eli..."

Eli's binoculars creak under her grip, "It's him."

Iris looks at them, "Who?"

Eli sighs but she stays in place, "The man was one of Nico's kidnappers."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes." Eli hisses.

Iris taps her ear, "This is Olympus to all Titans. We have confirmation that the Brotherhood is here." She looks over the scene with her binoculars. "Change of plans. We will mark Bishamonten and her group as allies. We will prioritize securing the wounded man with the sling. He will be designated HVT."

"ROE?"

"Weapons free. We only need the HVT alive."

"Copy."

Nozomi looks back at the scene to see the two groups discussing to one another. Throughout the deal, Bishamonten opens one of the cargo containers and brings out a box. She opens the lid and brings out an assault rifle. The HVT inspects the weapon and nods at the arms dealer. Bishamonten puts the gun back and they walk back to the center.

Bishamoneten smiles and thrusts her hand out. After a few moments, she repeats her action and Nozomi can see the arms dealer's guards tensing. The HVT snaps his fingers and the hiding terrorists pop out of their cover. The guards had their guns out but froze in place; it is 3 to 1 in the Brotherhood's advantage. The HVT starts walking away as some of the Brotherhood makes their way to the container.

Nozomi shifts to the entrance to see Sphera SUV and hears one of the operators speak into the radio, "In position."

"Execute."

The men on top of the containers drop dead and the SUVs accelerate through the entrance.

The Brotherhood are in a daze at what just happened. A white-haired and silver-haired bodyguard sprint to Bishamonten and drag her back to their car. The rest of her guards provide covering fire.

The Brotherhood reacts as some of the men drag the HVT back to their car. The HVT just got into the car as Sphera stops behind them. The HVT speeds off to the other side of the port but it suddenly swerved into a stack of containers; one of the snipers must have shot the tire.

Nozomi hears the door open behind them and turns around just in time to see blonde hair disappear. "Eli!?" She takes off and chases after her partner. Behind her she hears Iris calling them but she ignores her. "Eli!" She catches up to Eli as they run to the damaged car. They took their pistols out and scan the area; the doors were open with no sight of the HVT.

Eli moves to the stack of containers, "I'm going in. Cover me."

Nozomi follows after Eli as they make their way into the maze. Just as Eli reaches to the corner a hand latches onto her wrist and pulls her forward.

"Eli!" Nozomi tries to get a angle but she feels something tackles into her side and slam her into the container. The force knocks her gun off of her hand and leaves her dazed. In her peripheral she sees the HVT running away.

_BANG_

Nozomi looks to the side to see Eli's attacker lying on the floor. She uses the distraction to swing her head backward and it slams into her opponent's face. "Go Eli! He's getting away!"

"Got it." Eli chases after the HVT.

Nozomi turns around to see the man gripping his broken nose. Nozomi dives for her gun and turns to her opponent. "STOP!" The man froze and had his hand almost behind his back. "Don't do it." The man grips something on his back and Nozomi pulls the trigger twice. The man falls to the ground and a knife clatters to the ground. _'Damn it.'_

"ARGH!"

Nozomi turns around and runs to the direction Eli ran off to. Nozomi turns around the corner to see the blonde kicking the man in the ribs. "Eli!" Nozomi holsters her gun and pulls Eli away. "Eli we need him alive."

"He needs to pay!"

"I know!" Eli hesitates as Nozomi squeezes harder, "But we must save Nico... at any cost." Nozomi looks at Eli, "Remember?"

Eli stares for several seconds and she relaxes. "...You're right. I'm sorry."

They then hear footsteps, "Muse! Titans coming on your six!" Four Titans round the corner and form a perimeter around the HVT. One of the operators checks his pulse and then taps her radio, "HVT secured." She then turns to the duo. "Olympus wants you two at the meeting site."

Nozomi finally notices that the gunfire died down. She nods at mercenary, "Thanks." They jog to the site. As they got closer they see all of the Brotherhood members dead on the ground. Off to the side they see Iris, Rin, and Umi talking to Bishamonten.

They catch the conversation, "...Thanks for the save Sphera. I owe you one."

Rin leans back, "Eh? How did you know?"

Bishamonten raises her eyebrow, "You guys are the only ones here with all the high-tech gear."

The white-haired bodyguard walks over, "Hey Ka—"

"Oi Oi no names."

White-hair sighs, "Bishamonten—"

"You know what? I'm going to change the names now. I was planning to do it after the deal..." She looks at the dead terrorists. "Now's a good time. Refer to me as Zeus."

"...Seriously?"

"Yes. Now shush Athena."

The newly-dubbed Athena huffs but stays silent.

Iris speaks up, "Zeus, can we cash in that favor now?"

"Well that was fast."

"Can you tell anything about the Brotherhood?"

"Sorry. My policy is not to talk about my clients to strangers."

"...Even when we saved you?"

"Yup. Gotta keep my policy." She shrugs, "It's how I keep a lot of customers."

Iris stares at Zeus for some time and sighs, "Alright."

"Ah," Zeus turns around and waves the silver-haired woman over. "Artemis."

Artemis is quick to adapt to the name-change and walks over, "Yes?"

"Remember that ship you told me about?"

Artemis raises her eyebrow but answers anyway, "Yes."

"It was really weird how it came here yesterday. It was also weird how it was green and had 'ARNDAS' written on the side."

Artemis chuckles, "I'm surprised you listened."

"Hey! I listen."

"Psh." Athena turns around and clasps her hands behind her head, "More like sleep through them." Zeus glares at Athena and slaps her ass, "OW! What the fuck!?"

"You're so going to get it when we get back to the hotel."

Athena blushes, "The fuck are you saying in front of strangers!?"

Iris looks back after relaying the info to the team, "Thank you for the information."

Zeus tilts her head to the side, "What are you talking about? I was having a loud chat with my employees."

Sirens are heard from the background.

Iris looks at the direction of the sirens and then to Zeus, "I would suggest now is the good time to leave. I'll pretend you were never here."

"Thank you so much. Also," She points at the containers, "Would it be alright if I can hide my guns?"

Iris shakes her head, "Unfortunately no. The cops will most likely find it."

"Awww. Oh well." Zeus and her guards make their way to the cars. "Oh," She turns around, "Be sure to save Nico alright? I do love her music." She walks back and they get into the cars to make their escape.

"Now you." Iris turns to Eli who has her head bowed. "That was really reckless Eli."

"I apologize for my reckless actions."

"But you did capture the HVT so there's that." She sighs, "You're really lucky Miss Murgatroyd vouches for you."

The sirens are getting closer.

"Right. It's time for you ladies to go back to the US with our guest."

Eli looks up, "What? But what about here?"

"We'll take care of this and the ship so go."

One of the operators starts to usher Muse to one of the cars and Rin looks back at Iris. "How are you going to explain the Brotherhood being here?"

"What are you talking about?" Iris smiles, "We just took down pirates."

.

. . . . . . . . . . . .

.

_Four days later..._

Nozomi closes the door behind her and walks up to Eli. "Has he said anything?"

Eli shakes her head as she stares at the computer screen, "No. He's a tough one."

Nozomi watches through the screen as the lights turn on and off and 30-second intervals in the room. When the lights turn on, loud music blares through the room and Nozomi can see the bags under his eyes.

"This should get interesting."

They turn around to see Tsubasa walking up to them.

"What do you mean?"

"The next phase."

They turn back to the screen to see the man escorted to his cell. In the next room there are two people dressed as the two Brotherhood member they captured here. They also have some device strapped around their throat. Nozomi points at it, "What it that?"

"A modulator that lets the person imitate voices. It'll help our specialists there for the next act." The liaison points at the vents. "We also 'installed' vents so our friend here can listen."

The specialist starts speaking, "Hey how have they been treating you?" The man with the sling perks up and looks around. Their voices sounded exactly like the prisoners' voice.

"Very well. I can't believe how nice the beds are here."

"Yeah it's soo much better than the caves we had to sleep in."

"...So did you think about their deal?"

"It is a tempting offer."

"I really do think we should take it." The wounded man starts to shake as he 'listens' in.

Tsubasa looks at the clock, "That should be good enough." The cell door opens and the injured man is escorted back to the 'room.'

Nozomi looks at Tsubasa, "What kind of specialists are they?"

"They specialize in mimicking their target. While you were gone our specialists have been talking to the prisoners and learning their manners. With a little bit of tech they can copy anyone... except for the faces. We haven't gotten there yet."

After 20 minutes of the light treatment they escorted him back to the cells. This time the prisoners are in there as well.

Tsubasa has her hand on her chin, "Let's see how he'll react."

They look back at the screen to see the man screaming at the other men. After several moments of arguing, the man starts slapping them. One of them did not expect the strike and fell down. Before it could escalate, the guards came in and 'stopped' the fight. They escorted the wounded man out of the cell as one of the interrogators checks on the prisoners.

After making sure they are alright, the Sphera man makes his way to the door. He was stopped by the prisoner's voice, "Wait." The two prisoners look at each other before the first one looks back, "We want to talk."

"Sure." The interrogator gestures them to the door, "Let's go somewhere else." They reach to a more comfortable room and sit down. The interrogator opens a file, "What can you tell me?"

"...Is the deal still viable?"

"Yes."

"Can we add another condition?"

"Let us hear it first."

"We want total anonymity."

"Hold." The interrogator waits.

Nozomi turns to Tsubasa, "What kind of deal did you offer them?"

"A new life here. We'll be watching over them of course."

Nozomi hears the door open behind her and turns around to see Honoka, Rin, Umi, and an employee walk inside. "Hey."

Honoka nods at them, "Hey to you too."

The employee walks up to Tsubasa and gives her a folder.

Eli tilts her head to the folder, "What is it?"

Tsubasa scans the contents, "Data from the ship Iris found."

They were interrupted as the interrogator nods, "We can add that." He leans forward, "Now where is Nico?"

The two prisoners looks at each other before the one who was slapped turns to the interrogator. "Egypt."

Tsubasa nods, "It checks out. The ship manifesto shows us the ship has made numerous visits to Egypt."

The interrogator scribbles down on the paper, "Where exactly?"

"Do you have a map?" They wait for a few moments before an employee walks in with an enhanced map of Egypt. They two take several seconds and one of them points at a part of the desert. "Here. We use these dunes as reference points."

The interrogator slides a piece of paper over to them, "Can you draw a layout of the cave..."

_'Yes!'_

"Yes!" Nozomi turns around to see Rin with her fist outstretched. "This is it! We are so close."

Nozomi shakes her head as Umi scolds Rin but she feels her heart beating faster, _'Don't worry Nicocchi. We'll bring you home.'_

"...Could you tell the reason for the capture of Ms. Yazawa?"

One of them shrugs, "Not much. Leader wouldn't tell us."

The other turns his head to his friend, "Didn't he get worked up when we saw a video of the idol in front of that TV station?"

"Oh yeah. One of the recruits was watching that video."

The interrogator clears his throat, _*Ahem*_ He gets their attention, "What is the leader's name?"

"Anton."

"Nothing else?"

"He only gave his first name."

"Anything to distinguish him?"

The prisoner taps his chin, "He has a scar on his ear."

_Gasp_

Nozomi turns to Eli as her fist trembles. "Elichi?"

"...I need to go back training." Eli quickly turns around and exits the room.

Nozomi and the others stare at each other for a few moments. Nozomi then walks to the door. "We'll come back later."

_Five minutes later..._

_'Hopefully she's in here.'_ Nozomi opens the door of the dorms. "Elichi!?" The room was trashed and the blonde is sitting on the bed with her head in her hands. Nozomi rushes to her partner, "What happened?"

"It's my fault."

"What?"

Eli continues to mumble in her hands, "It's my fault it's my fault."

Nozomi hugs the blonde, "Eli." She tenses, "Breathe." Nozomi waits as Eli takes deep breaths and calm down. "Elichi what's going on?"

"I know him Nozomi." Eli looks up to stare at Nozomi, "I know the leader of the Brotherhood and it's my fault Nico got captured."

* * *

* * *

**.**

**Fin for now.**

**Not much to say but I'll be busy again; why do I do school?**

**-I apologize for my bastardization of military lingo. **

**YAY we hit 5k views! I am truly thankful to you my readers.**

**Until next time.**

**Thanks for reading**

**Constructive criticisms are appreciated**

**Bravo Tango out.**

* * *

* * *

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

_A day after the incident..._

Nico blearily wakes up to find half of her vision blacked out. She reaches with her hand to the left side of her face and feels some kind of cloth covering her eye. She hisses in pain and draws her hand back.

"Don't touch the wound."

Nico looks to the side to see the old man sitting on a chair. She slowly looks back at the ceiling.

"I do apologize for his behavior."

"Hm."

"..."

"..."

Nico thinks about yesterday, _'I wonder...'_ "How do you know Eli?"

"She was my student."

Nico whips her head to the side, "What?"

The older adult sighs, "I was a mentor of a military program back in Russia. It was there I met and taught Eli."

"...So what about the other guy? What's his deal?"

"Anton and Eli were in the same class year. They would always compete to reach the top rank." He sighs again, "Anton did... something and they both had a fight. The government found out and he was kicked off the program."

"Ha..." Nico trembles, "Haha..." Nico couldn't help herself, "HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" _'Are you serious? All of this for revenge?'_ Nico's laughter peters off as she lies in bed.

"Has she gone crazy?" Nico and the old man turn around to see Anton with his black beret at the door. He walks to stand next to his teacher. "How is she?"

The old man opens his mouth but Nico jumps in, "'She' is doing fine _Anton_."

Anton scowls and glares at the older man, "You told her."

The ex-teacher shrugs, "She deserved to know."

"Tch." Anton looks at the older man tilts his head to the door. After giving Nico one last glare, he leaves the room.

The older man stands up and nods at Nico, "Try not to touch the wound." He leaves.

Nico sighs as she sinks back into bed. _'Fucking hell.'_


	24. Deploy

**We are so close. **

**Warning! I have little to no knowledge of military lingo, guns, and fight scenes. Movies and google are my go-to sources. Thank you for your time and let's go.**

"Blah" — Speech

"Blah" — Speech in another language

_'Blah' _— Thoughts

[ Blah ] — Text

*_Blah_* — Sound effects in speech

(**_Blah_**) — Author's notes

**Disclaimer: I do not own any characters of Love Live! School Idol Project. This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author's imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.**

* * *

* * *

_Deploy & Rescue the Idol_

_Sphera HQ_

Eli could feel the tension as she walks into the meeting room. She looks around to see Tsubasa in front of a holographic screen while Alice, Honoka, and the rest of the squad sitting at the table. She nods at the leaders and takes a seat next to Nozomi.

Tsubasa coughs into her hand, "Now that everyone is here we can begin." She taps the screen of her touch-pad and a picture of Anton shows up on the bigger screen. "The record says his name is Anton Vasily." She presses a button and a picture of the injured man, "And this is his 'legal guardian,' Ivan Petrov. They immigrated to Russia when Anton was around 1." Pictures of records show up where some texts were blacked out. "Our contacts say that he attended the same military as Eli but we don't know why he was discharged."

Eli stands up and breathes in, "Anton and I used to compete for the top rank in the program. After a training drill I gained the top rank and the whole class went out for a drink. Anton got too drunk and believed I did not deserve it. I was drunk as well and a fight broke out. The police came and our commander demanded what happened. My classmates vouched for me and Anton was dishonorably discharged while I was demoted to the bottom rank."

Alice leans forward, "Was there a reward for the top rank?"

"Prestige among the military and top recommendations to almost any job in Russia after the contract ends." Eli sighs, "It's my fault that Nico was captured."

"Elichi..." Nozomi looks up at Eli.

"There are some benefits to this situation." Everyone stares in shock at Alice. "His quest for revenge clouded his mind and he has made mistakes. I also believe that the sudden rise to power corrupted his mind." She nods to Tsubasa.

The Sphera employee continues the briefing, "Thanks to the information given from our 'friends,' we have a layout of the base." A blueprint of the enemy's base takes the whole screen; there are various openings and hallways. Tsubasa points at five openings, "The prisoners said that these spaces were empty the last time they were there so there is a chance that Nico is in one of them."

Tsubasa starts tapping on the touch-pad, "This is the general plan: You four will be dropped around 130 kilometers away from the base. You have 48 hours until the company drops drones to act as decoys and attack the base." The picture zooms in on one lone hallway leading to the outside. "In the middle of the distraction you will sneak into the base. Our friends said that they abandoned this secret exit and are in the process of making a new one. They nailed a metal sheet to the inside entrance while the outside exit is blocked with a boulder to hide it in plain view."

"Once you rescued Nico you will rendezvous to this location and call for an air exfil." The picture zooms out and refocuses on an area away from the cave. "Our satellite shows this area has decent cover and enough space for our helicopters." Tsubasa looks around the room, "Any questions?"

Eli coughs into her hand and draws everyone's attention. "Why drones?"

Alice answers Eli, "This is the perfect opportunity to test the capabilities of the drones." Eli opens her mouth but Alive stares at the Muse guard, "This is one of my conditions."

Eli hesitates but slowly relents.

"Do not worry. I would not endanger this mission and Nico. I have full trust in all of you and the drones."

Tsubasa continues, "Anything else?" They all shake their heads. "Alright gear up."

.

_Hangar Bay_

.

Eli adjusts Sphera's dragon skin vest as she loads up her magazines. With the last magazine in her hand, the blonde looks through the opening to see subsonic rounds. She then tucks the last magazine in the vest and then loads up her G19 in her pistol holster. With almost everything loaded Eli looks down at the table to see her main weapon, a SCAR-H CQC variation with a suppressor attached to it. Eli tilts her head to the side when she spots her baton on the table. _'Huh._' The guard picks it up and fits it on the left side of her vest. With everything loaded, she looks up and around to note everyone else:

Nozomi loaded a magazine into her ACR CQC.

Umi is looking down the scope on her SOCOM 16 CQB.

Rin makes the final adjustments to her KRISS Vector.

All of them share the same pistol and desert-scheme vests. She also notes their primary weapons have suppressors on them and most likely have subsonic rounds. Eli walks over to Rin and pats her shoulder, "How are you feeling?"

Rin turns her head, "I'm ready. We trained a lot in the sim room."

Eli shakes her head, "How are you _feeling_?"

"I..." Rin hesitates, "I'm really scared."

"Good."

Rin draws her head back, "Huh?"

"Having fear keeps you sharp. But don't let it control you."

"Okay," Rin nods. "Thanks."

Eli nods and turns around to see Kotori walking toward them with a backpack in her hands. The rest of the squad stop their preparation and gather around the designer. Umi steps closer, "Kotori."

Kotori smiles and quickly squeezes the blue-haired guard's hand. She turns to the group, "Hey everyone. I have something for Nico to wear." She pulls out a heavy-duty hoodie and pants, "These are made with top-of-the-line material and design. I tailored it to be Nico's size and I also made them into parts in case..." Kotori stops for a moment and then collects herself, "In case Nico is injured anywhere. Here." Kotori demonstrates by pulling a section of the jacket and Eli can hear the velcro rip. Kotori puts it back together and stuffs it into the backpack. "Who's going to hold it for Nico?"

Nozomi walks over, "I'll hold it." Kotori gives the backpack to the guard.

Eli then hears metal hitting metal and turns to see a giant four-legged drone move toward them with Hanayo by its side.

"Kayo-chin!" Rin jogs over and gives a quick hug.

"Rin," Hanayo returns the hug and then looks to the robot, "Um, this will be your companion for this mission."

Umi looks over the drone, "This MULE looks different."

Hanayo nods, "Ah yes, this one was heavily modified with protection for Nico as its top priority."

"What does it offer?"

"It can carry heavy gear and supplies for extended periods of time. It's also big enough to transport a small team of people." Hanayo presses a few buttons on a touch-pad and the rectangular panels on the side slide up. "The armor is strong enough to stop .50 caliber bullets." It moves to cover the top. "We also installed extra layers of armor plating that can be planted anyway on the field."

Hanayo points at the harpoons on the back, "These can be used to tow away the rock." A compartment on the right side opens with magazines matching their primary guns. "Extra ammo." Hanayo presses a bottom and everything returns to its original position. "It can run up to 50 kilometers per hour."

"Whoa," Rin marvels at the drone in front of her, "Does this one have a name?"

"We called it RHINO."

_'An apt name.'_

Hanayo offers the touch-pad to Rin, "Here Rin. Mostly everything is the same so it should be similar to the other controls you worked with."

"Thanks Kayo-chin."

"It seems like you're all ready to go." The crew turns to see their leader walking towards them.

Eli nods, "Yes we just finished familiarizing with the RHINO."

Honoka nods, "Good." She then looks at them, "Do you have a team name?"

Nozomi, Umi, and Rin stare at Eli. _'I guess I'm leading.'_ She racks her brain to think of a name. She remembers Nico's eyes, "How about... Ruby team?" The squad looks at each and then nod their heads. "I'll be Ruby lead." Eli points at each one in turn and called their call-signs:

Nozomi, "Ruby 1."

Umi, "Ruby 2."

Rin, "Ruby 3."

They nod at their assigned call-signs.

Just then a Sphera engineer walks over to the group, "The plane is almost ready to take off."

Eli looks over at the cargo plane to see countless drones of various models being transported to the underbelly; the drones had two legs, four legs, treads, or rotors to move their mechanical bodies. She looks back at her squad and points at RHINO, "Pack your gear and get ready to move out."

"I don't have to say it but..." Honoka stares at each of them in turn, "Come home together with Nico."

They all salute at Honoka.

.

. . . . . . . .

.

.

It took hours but one of the Sphera crew-members walks over to the squad. "We're nearing the landing zone."

Eli nods, "Copy." She turns to her squad, "Ruby team get ready." They all got up while the RHINO lumbers behind them. Ruby and various crew-members make one last check on their gear.

One of the aircrew stops next to a lever and pulls it down. Klaxons blare off while the ramp opens and all Eli could see was the moon in the dark blue sky. Ruby team and their drone walk closer to the opening. The klaxons stopped and Eli can hear her heart thumping as they wait for the signal.

_1 second_

_2 seconds_

_BEEP BEEP BEEP_

Eli is the first to run and fling her body off the plane. She feels a weird sensation coursing through her body as she plummets into the clouds. After a few seconds she turns her head left and right to see the rest of her squad nearby. It felt like minutes but Eli finally saw the ground. She looks at the altimeter strapped to her wrist. _'Now is a good time.'_ Eli waits a seconds before she pulls her parachute cord. The parachute releases from the bag and Eli feels a sudden jerk from the sudden velocity decrease.

Eli watches the ground come closer to her as she slowly descends into the sand. She almost lost her footing as her boots briefly sunk into the sand. Her training kicked in and she kept running to slow the momentum. She runs for several meters before she stops and takes off the backpack. Eli clips and unzips the bag strapped to the front of her body. She pulls out her rifle and pulls down her night-vision google attached on her helmet to scan the area.

Besides her squad landing around her area, there are was no one else. The rest of her squad converged onto Eli position and formed a perimeter.

"Clear."

"Clear."

"Clear."

In the distance the RHINO lands and the parachute covers the machine. Eli picks up her pack, "Grab your gear and move to RHINO." After a few moments they reached the drone and tore off the parachute.

Eli, Nozomi, and Umi surround the RHINO while Rin climbs up the top. She checks the machine and looks back down, "Everything is secured."

Eli nods, "Ruby team secure your gear on the RHINO and mount up." With everything secured and Ruby team is on the RHINO, Eli turns to Rin, "Ruby 3 plot a route to the next area."

"Copy." The RHINO starts to pace through the sand to their next destination.

_Hours later..._

"We're here." Eli jumps down the drone and makes her way up to the crest of hill. She takes her binoculars up and stares at the base; the outside was a giant rock formation in the middle of nowhere.

The rest of her squad joins her and survey the area. "So this is it huh," Nozomi comments.

"There," Umi points at a boulder at the bottom of the formation. "Our entrance."

Eli had to squint to notice there are some disparities with the boulder, _'We're so lucky with those informants.'_ Eli turns to Umi, "How much longer until Sphera causes the diversion?"

Umi brings up her arm where there is a smartphone attached to her forearm. "The attack will carry out in eight hours."

Nozomi takes a swig from her canteen, "So what do we do in the meantime?"

"How about there?" They turn to see Rin pointing to large rock jutting from the sand.

_'It can offer shade for us.'_ Eli nods, "Let's get away from the sun while we wait."

"Finally."

_10 minutes before the strike..._

"Alright team move to the boulder." The squad and RHINO made their way to the location. Rin taps her touch-pad and the drone turns its back to the direction of the rock; the two harpoon launchers are now pointed at the rock. Eli looks down on her wrist touch-pad to see the countdown.

_5_

_4_

_3_

_2_

_1_

Eli can barely hear explosions from the other side of the formation. She turns to Rin and nods her head once. Rin nods back and presses one button on her pad. The harpoons shoot out and embed themselves into the boulder. The RHINO slowly walks forward, dragging the boulder with it. In less than 30 seconds the boulder was moved and there is an opening with enough space to fit one person at a time.

Eli turns to her team, "Ruby 2 will take point and lead the way for us. Ruby 1 will be behind Ruby 2 to provide cover. I will be next with Ruby 4 taking the rear."

They nod at the orders and Umi jogs over to the drone to retrieve the tools while the rest of the squad takes position at the opening. Eli can still hear explosions.

After a few seconds Umi comes back to them and takes lead. Nozomi, Eli and Rin follow after the blue-haired guard. As they walk down the man-made hallway Eli had to pull down her NV goggles and even then she still can't see much. Just as Eli see some light at the end of the hallway, Umi raises her fist up and the team halts in front of some kind of metal sheet.

Eli hears footsteps and someone shouting. The footsteps fade away and it becomes quiet. After several moments of silence Umi puts on a welding helmet and thick gloves. The team steps back as Umi turns on the portable plasma torch. She brings the torch to the metal and sparks start to fly around Umi. The team had to take the goggles off as the light was too much for the equipment.

After painstaking seconds Umi turns off the torch and pulls the metal off and drops it to the side. She takes off the helmet and gloves to pick up her rifle. "Be mindful of the edges." She nudges the torch and she inches into the room. The rest of the team inches in and then fan out to find an empty room.

With no threat in sight, they stack up on the entrance. Eli takes a look at the 'door.' _'It doesn't even have hinges.'_ The blonde points at Umi and gestures her to cover low. Eli then gestures Nozomi to pick up the door while Rin hangs back. The team nods and waits for her order. Eli leans to the door and tries to listen for anything. She hears nothing and holds her hand up:

_3_

_2_

_1_

Nozomi heaves the door off of the walls for Eli and Umi to check the corners. Eli sees no one in the lit hallway. "Clear."

"Clear."

"Ruby 1 and 3 cover the hallway. Ruby 2 on me." Rin and Nozomi take their place as Eli and Umi step pack. The blonde brings up her wrist pad to show a map of the location with five markers. "We don't know how long those drones will last so we will have to split up." She points at the two markers on the left, "You and Ruby 3 will take the left while Ruby 1 and I will take the right."

Eli adjusts her radio, "From here on out we will go radio silent. Only break it if you have found Ni- the VIP. Clear?"

Umi nods, "Copy."

They stand behind their respective partners. "Go." They split off. Eli covers Nozomi as they make their way to the right side of the base. After minutes of walking the hallway branches off into two more hallways. _'Damn.'_ Eli checks the map again and almost swore. She takes a few seconds to think of a new plan. "Ruby 1 we're going to have to split up."

"What?" Nozomi almost looks behind, "Eli- Ruby Lead you can't be serious."

"We're losing time and it will take too long to check each room one-by-one."

"It's..." Nozomi grits her teeth, "Fine."

"I got the left and you the right."

Nozomi nods her head. "Good luck."

"You too." They split off and Eli is alone. After several seconds of walking Eli looks down at the map to see she is almost at one of the markers. Just as she turns the corner two soldiers step off of the room. Eli jerks herself back and stays out of sight. The blonde reaches for her radio but stops, _'I need to make sure.'_ Eli pulls a flash bang out of her vest and takes a deep breath. She pulls the pin and throws it around the corner.

_BANG_

Eli rounds the corner and pulls the trigger twice. Two bodies drop to the floor and Eli stops in front of the door. She peeks through the door to see the idol with her mouth gagged and her extremities strapped to a chair. "Nico!" Eli pushes her way in and hesitates when she sees the eye-patch on the left eye.

Nico screams are muffled as she jerks her head to Eli's left side.

Instincts scream at Eli's body and she pivots around; Anton has some kind of club and is swinging an overhead strike to Eli's head. Eli quickly brings her rifle up to intercept the blow.

_THWACK_

Eli's arms shake from the strike but she ignores it and reaches for her pistol. Anton closes in and knees Eli in the stomach. "Kuh!" Eli drops both of her guns. Anton raises his club but Eli jabs her palm at his chin. He staggers back and Eli takes the chance to reach for her pistol.

A club flies and hits the pistol away from Eli's reach. She turns around just as Anton slams into her with a flying tackle. They both fly and land at the side of the room.

Eli groans as she picks herself up, _'Holy shit.'_ Suddenly she feels pain in her ribs as she was pushed to the ground. "Argh!" She looks up to see Anton with a machete pointed at her head.

Anton smirks, "_Eli_. Never expected to see you here."

Eli clenches her teeth, "Anton." Eli tries to get her breathing under control. "Why? Why did you take Nico? You could have taken me."

Anton thrusts the blade closer to Eli's face, "I've seen the way that girl looks at you. I also watched her other videos and I gotta say, I would never imagined seeing you dancing in a costume."

Eli shakes her head, "Give it up Anton! You gave up everything for revenge and the Brotherhood will be crushed because of it."

Anton smiles, "You being here must be God's gift to me and that's all that matters."

_'Think!'_ Eli tries to think of anything. _'What if...'_ She looks at Anton, "Would you like to know where Ivan is?"

His eyes widen, "What... Where is he?" His hand starts to tremble, "Where is he!"

"Dead."

His face twists in rage as he draws his blade back to strike.

Eli tenses her bo—

_BOOM_

The cave shakes from some kind of shock wave and Anton loses his balance. Eli recovers faster and she extends her baton and swings it at his knee.

_CRACK_

"ARRGH!" He drops to the ground and cradles his knee.

Eli scrambles over to her pistol and picks it up to aim it at Anton. "Don't."

Anton growls as he glares at Eli. Few seconds pass and he reaches for his blade.

_BANG_

_BANG_

Anton Vasily drops to the floor with two holes in his head.

Eli takes a deep breath and her shoulders feel lighter.

"Mnn!"

Eli turns around to Nico and the mission comes back to her. She clicks on the radio, "This is Ruby lead to all squad. I have the VIP. Ruby 2 and 3 cover our exit. Ruby 1 come to marker 3. Over and out." Eli picks up the blade and cuts Nico's bindings. "Nico..."

Nico weakly smiles, "Yo Eli."

Eli checks over Nico's body, "How are you?"

"Like shit." That brought a smile from Eli.

"Ruby 1 coming in." They turn to the door to see Nozomi enter the entrance. "Nicocchi!" She flies through the room and frets over Nico, "Are you okay? Are you hurt?"

"Hey Nozi."

Eli shakes her head but sobers up. She walks over to her rifle to pick it up. _'Damn it. The barrel is bent.'_ She drops the gun and starts taking out the magazines. Eli looks around to find a weapon and her eyes stop at the front. She walks over and checks the dead enemy's weapon. _'P90. It'll have to do for now.'_ She clips her backpack off and starts loading the horizontal magazines.

"Let me hold that for you."

Eli turns around to see Nico in her specialized armor with her hand out. "Are you sure?"

Nico thrusts her hand again, "Yes."

Eli glances at Nozomi who nodded her head. She looks back at Nico, "Okay."

(**Shift to Nico**)

Nico hooks the straps on her arms. She sees Nozomi going first and Eli doing something to her gun. The blond looks at Nico, "Stick close to us."

The idol loosely gives a two-finger salute, "Like glue." They lead Nico through a maze of hallways. _'Holy crap why is the room spinning?'_ She then sees two familiar faces, "Hey Rin and Umi."

"Nico!"

Umi scolds Rin, "Stay focused."

"We're moving out," Eli commands.

They go through the some dark hallway and Nico starts to pant. _'I'm really out of shape.'_ They get out but Nico stumbles back and Eli catches her, "What the hell is that?" Nico points at the creature in front of them.

"Don't worry RHINO is on our side." Rin climbs up and waves her over. "C'mon."

Nico raises her eyebrow but Eli nudges her, "We have to go soon Nico."

"Right." Nico struggles as she climbs up but Nozomi supported the idol up. After a while Nico looks around to see everyone climbing up on this thing. She sees Rin pressing something on a touch-pad and the machine races off. "Whoa!" The ride then descends into silence and Nico can feel her eyes getting heavy. _'Just...gonna... close them for a bit...'_

.

. . . . . . . .

.

"...ico...Nico."

Nico opens her eyes to see Eli softly shaking her shoulder. "Are we home?" For some reason she still feels sluggish.

"Not yet. But we're close. I need you to get down from the RHINO. Can you do that for me?"

"Yeah..." Nico pushes herself up, "Sure." Eli helps the idol up and drops her to Nozomi. When Nico's feet touches the sand she groans, "Oh that feels nice." She looks up to see everyone move around and about while the robot is slamming something into the ground. _'What are they doing?'_ Nico notices they are in some flat place with some rocks here and there as she massages her feet into the sand.

Nico jumps as the RHINO plops in front of her, "What the—" She looks at Nozomi as the guard straps something on her shoulder, "What are you doing?"

"I'm putting this on so Sphera will recognize you as a friendly."

"...Okay?"

Nozomi grins, "It shows you as one of the good guys."

"Ohhhh."

_PING_

"Contact!" Loud banging noises fill the world. "Suppressing fire!"

"Get down!" Nozomi pushes Nico behind the robot. "Stay down Nico!" Nozomi stands up and fires her gun.

"Don't let them advance!"

"Grenade out!"

"Reloading!"

Nico's heart thumps in her chest as she tries to make herself as small as possible. She can feel explosions rumbling beneath her feet and hear bullets whizzing by her, "Holy shit holy shit holy shit!"

It felt like hours before Nico hears _whooshing_ sounds overhead. Nico looks up to see helicopters circling around them. She then hears something whirling and she sees fire spewing forth from the side of the helicopters She marvels at the waterfall of brass cascading to the ground.

_BRRRRRRRRRRT_

Nico giggle, _'It sounds like someone farting.'_

Another helicopter lands behind them and a group of people jump out and ran over to them. _'That's some weird armor.'_ Nico notes that some kind of metallic frame is covering their body.

One of them stops near Eli, "We'll take it from here Ruby team so exfil with the VIP! Go go go!"

Nozomi picks up Nico, "It's time to go home Nicocchi." The rest of her guards surround and escort her to the helicopter. Nico gets inside to see one person with a red cross on their jacket; he starts to check Nico. Once everyone gets inside the helicopter it lifts off the ground and flies away.

Through the window Nico sees more helicopters flying into the direction of the battle. She turns to Eli, "Are we going home?"

Eli smiles, "Yes we're going home."

"Okay." Nico sinks into the seat and teeters to the side but Eli catches her in time. Nico closes her eyes and hears voices in the distance:

"Nico...Nico... What is... on?"

"Adrenaline... Body... Sleep..."

Nico drifts into slumber, _'Home.'_

* * *

* * *

**.**

**.**

**.**

**.**

**.**

**And fin.**

**Holy crap! What an adventure! Nico is finally rescued. Again I want to apologize for any misuse of military lingo, terms, and tactics. I gotta say I'm very surprised that my imagination stayed relatively the same to what I imagined a year ago.**

**Another I want to say is that I have a few chapters left before this story is complete.**

**I want to say thanks to my followers and new readers for reading and staying with me.**

**See ya in the next chapter.**

**Thanks for reading**

**Constructive criticisms are appreciated**

**Bravo Tango out.**


	25. Home

**Good day to you all.**

"Blah" — Speech

"Blah" — Speech in another language

_'Blah' _— Thoughts

[ Blah ] — Text

*_Blah_* — Sound effects in speech

(**_Blah_**) — Author's notes

**Disclaimer: I do not own any characters of Love Live! School Idol Project. This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author's imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.**

* * *

* * *

_Home at Last_

_Beep_

_Beep_

_Beep_

"Unn," Nico bleary opens her eyes to see a whole ceiling in front of her. She rubs the left side of— _'Wait what?'_ She pats the area to feel skin. The idol turns her head around and stops at a wondrous sight; Nozomi has her head on Eli's shoulder. _'Wow,'_ Nico forgets everything and stares at them for forever.

It does not last as the purple-haired guard twitches and opens her eyes. "Mnn," She rubs her face and her eyes focus on the idol, ""Nicocchi?"

Nico waves her hand, "Hey—" _Cough Cough_

Nozomi moves fast and offers a cup of water to the idol, "Here Nicocchi."

Nico takes it and gulps it down. "Ahh. Thanks Nozi." The moment Nico puts the cup down on the table, Nozomi pounces on Nico, "Wha—"

Nozomi squeezes the idol, "I'm so glad you're okay."

Nico slowly pats Nozomi's back, "There there." The idol looks to the side to see Eli already up and standing; Eli is biting her lip and looking anywhere but here. "Eli?"

Eli wipes that look off of her face and quickly smiles, "Nico."

Nico blinks, _'I think I'm more tired than I thought.'_ Nozomi stops her snuggle-fest and steps to the side while Nico keeps her arms open, "C'mon it's your turn now." Eli walks over to bend down and hug Nico. "It's so great to see you two again."

"I agree." Eli reluctantly separates from Nico.

With everyone up, Nico looks around the white room; she's on a bed and there is a TV on the wall in front of her. "Where am I?"

"You're in Maki's hospital," Nozomi answers.

"Maki's hospital..." Nico mutters. She looks at them. "Are we in Japan?"

Eli nods, "Yes. What was the last thing you remembered?"

"I remembered we were in a helicopter." Nico looks at the tubes attached to her arm. "How long have I been asleep?"

Eli hesitates, "Two days."

Nico's eyebrows shoot up, "Two days?"

"We just wanted make sure you were alright."

Her questions were shoved to the side when Nico sees her face on the TV. She points at it. "Hey turn that up."

Nozomi looks at the direction and picks up the remote to turn up the volume. The prime minister's face shows up:

"From the deepest of our hearts, I again would like to thank the men and women of Sphera for saving Nico Yazawa. We are truly grateful for your actions. I would like to invite the CEO of Sphera, Alice Murgatroyd, to Japan to personally thank you..."

"What the hell?" Nico turns to Eli and Nozomi. "How come you girls weren't mentioned?"

"Well..." Nozomi glances at Eli who nods them. "We made an agreement with Miss Murgatroyd that they take the credit so we can use their resources to save you."

Nico holds her hand up. "Wait wait wait. Let's start from the beginning."

The guards drag the chairs closer to Nico's bed and sat down. Eli coughs into her hand. "To start off..."

_One long explanation later..._

"Holy shit," Nico stares at them. "You did all of that?"

Eli nods her head. "We were very fortunate that Miss Murgatroyd offered her company."

"Speaking of Alice, how is she doing? I'm pretty sure the authorities didn't like to be kept in the dark like that."

Eli nods her head. "They weren't happy that Alice withheld information from them. But they couldn't really do anything since they are a private company and became the hero to the people when they saved you."

Nozomi tilts her head. "Last we heard, she is building a base in Egypt."

"Huh," Nico lies back on the bed. "She gained a lot from this." They lapsed into silence save for the consistent beeping.

The door opens and Maki walks inside the room. She looks up from her notes and pauses, "Nico. You're awake."

Nico waves at her. "Yo doc." The idol watches as the doctor walk closer to the bed. "I thought you would be here sooner."

"This is the usual time I check up on you." Maki picks up the clipboard from the hospital bed. "I would have been here sooner if _somebody_—" Maki glances at Eli and Nozomi, "—would have told me that you were awake."

Eli dips her head while Nozomi scratches the back of her head.

Maki shakes her head and focuses back on Nico. "How are you feeling? Any problems?"

Nico shrugs, "Tired."

Maki shifts her focus to the left side. "Has the scar been bothering you?"

_'Oh right.'_ Nico reaches to the left side of her face to touch the scar. "How bad is it?"

"We made sure that the wound is not infected. Whoever did the treatment knew what they were doing." Maki sighs, "But since they didn't have proper equipment the scar will remain."

"Can I get mirror?"

They look at each other and Maki moves to the table; she opens the lid to take out a handheld mirror. "Here."

"Thanks." Nico turns the mirror toward her face; she sees the healed cut from the top of her brow to the top of her cheekbone. She closed her left eye and the line connects. "Huh..."

"I can offer surgery if you want."

Nico sees their worried faces at the corner of her eye; she puts the mirror down, "What are you implying Maki?"

"I-It wasn't—"

Nico smiles, "I'm just playing. I think it looks fine." _'I hope my fans will agree.'_

"I-Sure." Maki then continues the rest of the check-up. After that she walks to the door and opens it, "You can talk to her now."

"Who—"

Alice walks through while her guards remain near the door, "Good afternoon Nico. It is good to see you awake."

Nico is blown back at the appearance, "H-Hey Alice. How are you doing?" She looks at Maki who shrugs and takes out her phone.

Alice takes a seat that was placed on the other side of Nico's bed, "I am doing well."

Nico plays with the bed sheets, "So uh what's up?" Nico remembers the TV, "Oh. Are you here to visit the prime minister?"

"Oh that? I can go at a later time." Alice tilts her head to Nico, "No, I came to see how you are doing."

"O-Oh? Well," Nico looks down on her covered body, "Maki says I'm fine and I feel fine."

"That is good to hear. Now the main reason I am here is to tell you about the Brotherhood."

Nico tenses, "...What about them?"

Alice smiles, "I can say with great confidence that we are in the process of eliminating every Brotherhood cell around the world."

"How?"

"The base in Egypt had sensitive information with locations on their remaining bases. You can rest easy now Nico. This incident will not happen again."

Nico relaxes her shoulders, "That's good. So what have you been doing lately?"

Alice folds her hands, "I came back from a contract deal with Egypt. They were truly thankful to us for taking care of the Brotherhood."

"Wow you're going places." Nico smiles, "You're like a superpower for hire." Nico leans forward, "Does the Number 1 idol get a discount?" Alice covers her mouth as she laughs. Nico looks at the Sphera guards and smiles; they look in shock as they stare at their boss. _'Nice.'_

Alice recovers and smiles, "I am flattered but I think your guards would not like it."

_'Oh shoot.'_ Nico turns to Eli and Nozomi with her hands out. "It's a joke."

Nozomi pouts, "How mean Nicocchi." But Nico can see that glint on her eye.

"Well," Alice looks at her watch, "I am afraid I must be on my way." Alice stands up and nods at Nico, "It is truly good to see you well."

Nico waves at the blonde, "Thanks for everything Alice."

She offers a card to Nico, "If you need anything you can call me." Alice bids her farewells and leaves the room with her guards.

After a few moments pass by Nico looks at the others, "So that happened."

Nozomi shakes her head, "I'm impressed you can talk to her like that."

Nico puffs her chest, "What can I say? I still got it."

_BANG_

Nico jumps while the two guards move in front of the bed, "What the—"

"Nico don't leave us!"

"Huh?" Nico watches as the rest of Muse fill the room.

"We are truly sorry that—"

"We can do better—"

"Is it because I took—"

"STOP!" Nico has her arms in an X position. "Jesus it feels like I fell into a babbling brook. Now can somebody tell me what is going on?"

Rin has her phone out. "Maki told us you wanted to make a deal with Sphera."

Nico turns to Maki who pocketed her phone and is looking at her notes. _'That little...'_ Nico smiles, "I wasn't being serious. It was a little joke." They all sigh after that.

Nico barely got a breath in when another party showed up at the door. "Nico!"

Nico's eyes widen, "Mama! You guys!" Her mom and siblings rush into the room to dog-pile on her body. "Oof." Nico looks around to see many familiar faces. "It's good to see all of you again."

.

. . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . .

.

_3 Days later..._

"Damn this place looks like crap." Nico looks over her house to see weeds growing everywhere.

"We didn't ask anyone to look after it." Nozomi comments as she and Eli take some grocery bags from the car.

"I hope the inside isn't too bad." Nico fishes out her new key and opens the front door. She walks in the house and touches a table; it was layered with dust. "Urrgh." She then goes into the kitchen to open the refrigerator. She turns her head to the side. "Holy shit that smells horrible." She closes the doors and walks to the side to reach for a cupboard.

The idol got on her toes when Nozomi's head pops in. "What do you think you're doing?"

"Aw c'mon," Nico drops her hands to her sides. "I should be able to do this at least."

Nozomi smiles, "Nope. Maki says no strenuous activities." She nudges Nico to the living room. "Now sit while we clean. Umi, Rin, and the others will come later when they finished shopping."

"Urgh fine _mom_," Nico grins as she plops herself down on the couch. She watches Nozomi leaving through the front door and then she pulls out her phone. _'Let's see what I missed out.'_ Nico spent the next 10 minutes looking through news articles. _'Damn it my rank went down.'_ She catches movement and looks at the reflection of the TV to see Eli; she quickly turns away and walks out of the door. _'Weird.'_

Every time Eli comes into the house she would quickly get out or avoid Nico. _'Okay this is getting out of hand.'_ She waits until the blonde comes in and she pounces on the guard. "Okay Eli what is going on?"

"I-What?" Eli avoids looking at Nico's face.

"Don't tell me what. You're avoiding me."

"What are you talking about? Anyway I need to finish cleaning." Eli moves to the side.

Nico grabs Eli's hands, "Did I do something? Please tell me what's going on."

Eli finally looks at Nico; her eyes trail to the left and Eli's face crumples. "I'm so sorry."

Nico's grip goes slack, "Huh?"

She drops to the floor and covers her face with her hands, "I'm so sorry I'm so sorry I'm so sorry..." She continues to repeat that phrase.

"Whoa!" Nico panics, "I-Um-" _'What do I do?'_

Nozomi comes through the door with bags, "Elichi whats- oh no." She drops them and kneels next to Eli "Eli. Eli listen to me." Nozomi rubs Eli's back. "Breathe in. Breathe out." They go through for several painstakingly moments. "It's not your fault. Nico's safe and here."

Nico bites her lip. "Nozomi?"

The guard looks up and sighs, "She blames herself for being the reason you were kidnapped."

_'Oh.'_ Nico remembers that moment with the old guy. _'Oh.'_ Nico kneels down and places her hand on Eli's shoulder; the blonde flinches but stays still. "Eli..." Nico works her mouth, "What happened happened. No one could have expected this." Eli slightly relaxes, "Eli. Look at me." Eli slowly drops her hand and Nico smiles, "I'm fine."

"...I missed you."

"Me too." Nico kisses Eli's forehead. "And you too." Nico brings Nozomi closer and kisses her forehead. She places her forehead against Nozomi's head while she hugs Eli. "We have a lot of time to make up for it."

"Nicocchi..." They stayed huddled together for some time.

Eli is the first to move from her position; Nico and Nozomi move to give Eli space. The idol watches as Eli stands up and massages her knees, "You good?"

Eli rubs her eyes and nods, "I'm doing better. Thank you Nico."

A car pulls up on the driveway and Nozomi jogs to the door, "It's the others."

"We should finish cleaning," Eli walks outside with Nozomi.

Nico starts to walk—

_RING RING_

"Huh?" Nico picks up her phone to see Ryu calling. She answers the phone, "Hey Ryu."

"Hello Nico. I'm sorry I couldn't visit you."

"It's fine. So what's up?"

"There are rumors of you retiring and the investors are getting nervous."

"What? Where did that come from?"

"Most likely the picture of your face."

Nico looks at the mirror and touches her scar. She narrows her eyes, "No way that's happening. What should I do?"

She hears some rustling on the other side, "You should do a conference. Dispel these rumors and let them know you're here to stay."

"When's the earliest you can set one up?"

"Six Days."

"Nico?" Nico turns around to see everyone from Muse; Hanayo raises her eyebrows, "What's going on?"

"I think people forget that I'm an idol," Nico smiles, "Ladies. It's time to work."

.

. . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . .

.

Nico watches from a door as countless people fill up the room. She sees journalists and translators from different parts of the world. _'Thanks Alice.'_ She called the boss of Sphera for a little favor to get them here in Japan.

"Here Nico." She turns back to see Eli, Nozomi, Umi, and Rin waiting for her; she focuses on Rin who is holding an earpiece. "This is what the translators will use to help you."

Nico accepts the piece and puts it in her ear. "Thanks Rin."

Nozomi's eyes flicker to her scar. "Are you sure about this?"

"Of course," Nico points at her scar. "I'm not going to hide this. It's going to be my charm now."

Nozomi nods, "Okay. We're with you Nicocchi." The other guards nod as well.

Nico smiles, "Let's do this." Nico opens the doors and her guards follow after the idol. Instantly cameras flash at Nico as she struts to the center. People started to clamor and try to get Nico's attention but she continues her way to her chair. She waits a few seconds before raising her hand and the room goes silent. "Months ago I was kidnapped by the Brotherhood. But thanks to Sphera I'm here safe and sound. Now I'm sure all of you have question so..." Nico leans forward, "Who wants to go first?"

Hands rose up to the ceiling.

Nico takes her time before she picks one. A middle-aged woman stands up and asks her question; it took a while as Nico listens to her translators: "What was it like being held captive by them?"

Nico takes a while, "Well it wasn't exactly great. The place was all dusty and they had crappy services." That got some chuckles. "But it was really hard being alone in some random place. But I stayed strong and didn't give them the satisfaction to see me weak." The woman nods and sits down. "Next."

A young man stands up, "Did you ever find the reason they took you?"

Nico's eyes dart to Eli but she quickly looks back at the man and shakes her head, "No. They didn't speak in a language I knew and I think they weren't keen on telling me anything."

The idol picks a young woman this time, "Did you see the face of their leader with the black beret?"

Nico resists the urge to raise her eyebrow, _'I thought Sphera would release the information?'_ But Nico shakes her head, "No he would wear a mask every time I saw him."

Another young man stands up, "How did you get the scar?"

"They threatened me and I resisted." Nico traces the scar, "This is the result."

A fellow countrywoman stands up, "Are you going to retire?"

"No." Nico stands up, "I'm not going to let it stop me from becoming the Number 1 Idol in the Universe. And besides, idols don't retire." Nico winks with her left eye, showing the scar in full display, "Nico-nii is here to stay."

.

. . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . .

.

_Nico's house..._

"That took forever." Nico undoes her pigtails and fluffs out her hair. "Hopefully that will clear things up." She looks at her phone, "You two want to eat anything?" There is no answer. "Hey-" Nico turns around to see the two of them staring at her, "W-What's up?"

Eli and Nozomi then look at each other for a moment before Eli steps forward. "When you were... gone, we realized how much you meant to us."

Nozomi moves closer to them. "We had a lot of time but the both of us have made a choice." Nozomi presents a box to Nico.

Nico stays silent as she accepts and cradles the box in her hands. She carefully opens it to see two earrings inside; one has a sapphire gem while the other one has the turquoise gem. She looks up at them, "Isn't this...?”

Eli nods, "The bracelets were broken but we were able to save the gems. We asked a favor from Alice to have it fixed and fitted onto those earrings." Eli stands by Nico's left side, "We want to stay by your side forever."

Nozomi stands by Nico's right side, "Will you let us?"

Nico feels tears streaming down her face as she cups her mouth. She jumps up and hugs both of them, "Yes!"

* * *

* * *

**.**

**.**

**.**

**And Fin.**

**This is it! Just a few more chapters to go. Not much to say or note so see you all later and have a good day.**

**Thanks for reading**

**Constructive criticisms are appreciated**

**Bravo Tango out.**


	26. Graduation

**This is it ladies & gentleman! This is the final stretch so let's go!**

"Blah" — Speech

"Blah" — Speech in another language

_'Blah' _— Thoughts

[ Blah ] — Text

*_Blah_* — Sound effects in speech

(**_Blah_**) — Author's notes

**Disclaimer: I do not own any characters of Love Live! School Idol Project. This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author's imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.**

* * *

* * *

_Graduation for the Number 1 Idol in the Universe_

_Knock_

_Knock_

Nico looks from the mirror to the door. "Come in!"

The door opens and the purple-haired woman walks in. "Hey Nicocchi."

"Oh hey Nozi." Nico fully turns around to take a look at Nozomi; she has a white turtleneck with a red skirt that reaches down to her shins. "How's it looking out there?"

Nozomi stops in front of the idol. "The stadium is packed. I've never seen so many people in place before."

"Nice."

Nozomi drapes her arms around Nico's neck. "Are you ready?"

Nico smiles, "Of course. But are they ready for me?"

"You've done so much for them Nicocchi. I'm sure they'll understand." They go silent after that statement.

Nico starts to feel Nozomi's heat as she stares at her guard's eyes. Nozomi smiles and tilts her head downward. Nico tilts her hear upward and their lips meet. Nico wraps her arms around Nozomi and draw her in. She—

_Ahem_

The two jumps away and they look at the person who interrupted them; it was just Eli standing in the doorway. She is wearing a white shirt with a light blue trench coat that reaches to the bottom of her brown pants. The blonde closes the door behind her and makes her way to the duo, "You two are very lucky I was the one at the door."

"Oh please," Nico waves her Eli's concern. "This is my last event anyways."

"Still—"

"Come here." Nico tugs Eli's hand and goes on her tip toes to kiss Eli.

"Mn?" Eli widens her eyes at the sudden kiss but she relaxes and presses her lips back.

Nico feels her mouth tingle as their lips mold together. It takes a while but they finally separate. Nico takes a step back as Eli turns to Nozomi. They close the distance and lock lips. It's always a treat for Nico to watch them kiss. They eventually pull away as they start to pant. _'Hot.'_

_Knock _

_Knock_

A voice filters through the door. "Miss Nico? We have the costume ready."

"Okay thanks," Nico calls out. "I'll be over there in a bit." She hears footsteps fade away from the door. The idol turns to her duo. "You two should go to your seats."

"But / We can—"

"Oi," Nico pokes the both of them in the forehead. "You two promised me that you would watch me from the front. You were always in the backstage when you were my guards. Now's your chance to see my magic in full view."

Eli rubs her forehead. "You're right."

Nozomi has a small smile on her face as she rubs the poked area. "I guess old habits die hard."

Nico sighs but smiles, "You two worry too much. Now get." The two of them wave and leave the room. She turns back to the mirror and her mismatched earrings move with the idol. She traces her finger along her scar. _'It's been eight years huh.'_ She does her pose quickly and walks to the door.

.

. . .

. . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . .

. . .

.

(**Shift to Eli**)

Eli looks around the newly-built and open-topped stadium as people start to fill in. The blonde starts to pick up the security of the area; she notes Sphera guards and drones that are in plain sight. Eli shifts her body as she gets comfortable on her seat. She looks to her side to see Nozomi sipping a large cup. Eli then takes a look around the VIP section. _'I wonder who Nico invited.'_

Eli recognizes two men at one area of the section. _'Never expected to see them again.'_ It was the two 'janitors' that Muse subdued. Next to those two are two women where one has pink hair while the other one has black hair.

The blonde looks slightly to the side to see Ryu with another woman by his side. He catches her sight and they nod at each other.

Slightly in front of them are Junko and Nico's siblings. Junko turns around and catches the duo. "Oh hey you two."

They both greet her back. "Hi / Hello Junko."

"How's the retired life treating you?"

Eli smiles, "Peaceful."

Junko smiles and her eyes glints, "Any plans after this?"

Nozomi hums, "Nicocchi says she wants to wants to travel around the world."

"That sounds good." Junko smiles, "You all deserve the break." Cocoro taps Junko's shoulder for her attention and she turns back to her kids.

Eli looks around the area again. She looks at the back area and her eyes widen to see Alice in casual clothes and sitting next to a brunette lady. The lady leans next to Alice and after a few seconds the blonde smiles. _'They seem close.'_

The former guard turns around to look again but she does a double-take at the newcomers; it was Steven and his family. _'I can't believe Nico would invite him.'_ The ex-spy is walking down the aisle while holding hands with a girl. _'Must be his daughter.'_ Eli smiles, _'How ironic.'_ The girl is wearing a 'Nico-nii' shirt and holding a banner. The blonde follows the family to their seating and her eyes widen; it is the two ex-Brotherhood members. She rubs her forehead. "Of course she would do that..."

Nozomi leans forward. "What's up?" Eli tilts her head to their position. Nozomi chuckles while she shakes her head. "Oh Nicocchi."

Eli watches as the family sits behind the two members. "What makes it better is that they don't even know about each other."

"Hey Nozomi n Eli!" Eli turns to the stairway to see Rin, Hanayo, and Maki walking up to them. Rin gives a quick wave. "How you two been doing?"

"Good," Nozomi and Eli rise up to give hugs to the trio. "How is your team Rin?"

Rin beams, "They're great. We're going to the finals soon."

Eli tilts her head. "They're doing the 100 meter dash right?"

She nods her head. "Yup."

"Oh hello Rin." Rin turns her attention to the Yazawa family.

Hanayo looks behind the two ex-guards and starts to shy away; Eli has a rough idea who the technician is looking at. "Don't worry too much about her Hanayo. You're on break."

Hanayo shifts around. "Technically Miss Murgatroyd is still my boss."

Maki huffs, "Oh please." She sits down on her seat and tugs Hanayo down. "The both of you are on break."

Rin sits down next to Maki and snuggles up to the doctor. "And you need to relax more."

Maki's cheeks match her hair and she huffs.

"Aw it looks like we weren't the first ones here."

Eli looks down to see Umi and Kotori coming up to them. "It's good to see you two."

Kotori smiles, "Ditto."

Umi nods her head. "Likewise."

"Umi!" The Yazawa teens wave at her who returns the gesture.

Rin turns to the blunette. "How's the dojo doing?"

Umi has a small smile on her face. "The recruits are learning at a quick pace."

Kotori leans toward Nozomi and Eli. "Have you two seen Nico's dress yet?"

They shake their heads. "Nicocchi kinda chased us out."

The fashion designer grins, "Then you're going to love it." The two takes their seat.

"Hey the whole team is here!" Everyone looks down to see Honoka and Tsubasa walking up to them. "How are you all doing?" The former members of Muse greet and talk with their former leader.

Hanayo gives a quick bow to Tsubasa. "It's good to see you again Miss Kousaka."

Tsubasa waves her off. "The both of us are outside of work so no need to be formal." Her eyes move to the back area. "Though it's a surprise to see Miss Murgatroyd here." She dips her head. "She really must like Nico and I'm sure Nico will love it."

Nozomi grins and shrugs, "She has that way with everyone." Nozomi wags her eyebrows to Eli who rolls her eyes.

Honoka hops to Eli and Nozomi. "Hey hey you two and Nico should stop by my bakery sometime. I got a new recipe."

Eli chuckles at her antics. "I'll be sure to tell Nico later."

The lights go dark and everyone sits down. The noise around the stadium goes silent as they wait for their idol. They did not have to wait for long as the lights turn back on and Nico stands at the center stage. Eli's jaw goes slack as she stares at her star. (**Birthstone**) On her head is a white exotic hat with small purple flowers embedded into the cloth. Nico is wearing a white bare-shoulder dress where the trimmings are gold. There is a ruby gemstone affixed to the area where her heart would be. In the center of the dress there are red fabrics which are shaped as diamonds that are sewn into the cloth.

She is wearing detachable white sleeves with red stripes at the top of the sleeve. The top edges are colored gold while the edges near her hand are red. Eli looks down to see a two-layered skirt. The inner layer is red and frilly while the outer layer is white and covers a part of the inner layer. There is an extra layer of cloth that attaches to the right side of the skirt which extends to the knee, making the dress look asymmetrical.

Looking farther down, Nico is wearing white thigh-highs with gold trimmings and knee boots that have the same color scheme as her dress. Eli goes back at the top and is the earrings catch her attention. Nico has a Sapphire gem on the left while the Turquoise gem is on the right.

Nico goes into her signature pose. "Nico-Nico-Nii!"

"NICO-NICO-NII!"

Nico waves to the crowd. "Hello to all of my fans from around the world and thank you for coming!" The screen behind the idol follows her movements. "Now I'm sure you already know but today is my Graduation day."

"Awwwww."

"I know I know but I want all of you to smile today okay?" Nico's lips curve upwards. "Two years ago you Nico-niis got me ranked as the Number 1 Idol of the world. All of you made me smile and I can't thank you enough. This is my last performance but I will always be in your hearts so I want all of you to enjoy today."

"NICO!" The music starts playing in the background.

Eli leans forward as the stage lights up and the backup dancers show up behind Nico.

.

. . .

.

_Eight hours later..._

Eli watches as Nico just finished a song. The idol takes a breather and talks to the crowd. "Alright so this last song was made with someone special in mind." For a second her eyes flicker to their location.

The crowd 'o's at that.

Nico and several dancers take up position as the music starts up.

(**Hotel Moonside English cover by JubyPhonic**)

_1, 2 kiss kiss_

_Look above and see_

_The moon is shining brightly_

Nico points up and Eli follows the direction to see a full moon on the sky. The audience gets more excited at the 'coincidence.'

_But soon, it's you and me_

_We're all that matters, aren't we? Yeah_

_Hear the bell haunting on again_

_Riding on though it never ends_

_Alibi circled all in red, it's not a secret_

_Not a sound in the town tonight_

_Look around, are you seeing the sign?_

_No sun to come and rise_

_C'mon and live in moonlight_

_Here I am_

_Grab me by the hand, don't hold me too lightly_

_You let go and I'll be fading away_

_Lock me up with a key, I'm like lightning_

_Try and capture me_

_1, 2, kiss kiss_

_Grab me by the hand, don't hold me too lightly_

_You let go and I'll be fading away_

_Lock me up and try to catch me tonight_

_All night, all night, all night_

_Play a song for me, I need your melody_

_Lemme be the one and only to hear_

_Play it loud as we dance to the sound_

_All night, all night, all night_

_Stopping time and now we're jumping the line_

_All night, all night, all night_

_1, 2, kiss kiss_

Nico closes her left eye to the audience, showcasing the entirety of her scar. The crowd went wild and the stadium starts to tremble.

"NICO!'

"NICO!"

"NICO!"

Eli realizes that she and everyone around is chanting Nico's name. As Nico's career ends with a bang, their lives together is just beginning.

* * *

* * *

.

.

.

.

.

.

**The End!**

**We did it! Woohhoo! This is the official end of Ruby, Sapphire, & Turquoise. Thank you all of my followers and readers for helping get this far. **

**Now there a just a couple of extra chapters left.**

**Again I would like to thank all of you on this great journey.**

**Thanks for reading**

**Constructive criticisms are appreciated**

**Bravo Tango out.**

* * *

* * *

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

_Click_

_Click_

"Hey Nozi move a little closer."

Nozomi is standing next to Eli. "I'm pretty sure we can't Nicocchi."

"Let me change that." Eli pulls Nozomi's hips close and wraps her arms around the purplette's waist.

"Yeah!" Nico takes another picture and looks at the result. Eli is hugging a grinning Nozomi with the Parthenon behind them. Nico gives them a thumbs-up. "Looks great!"

The duo walks over the ex-idol as Nozomi looks at the picture while Eli looks at Nico. "It's a little early but where do you want to go next?"

Nico taps her chin. "Let's go to France."


	27. Laugh

**Hey everyone. This is just an "omakes" extra chapter so enjoy.**

"Blah" — Speech

"Blah" — Speech in another language

_'Blah' _— Thoughts

[ Blah ] — Text

*_Blah_* — Sound effects in speech

(**_Blah_**) — Author's notes

**Disclaimer: I do not own any characters of Love Live! School Idol Project. This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author's imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.**

* * *

* * *

_Laugh to Relieve the Stress_

_Chapter 1: Pilot_

The rest of the group talk but Nico ignores them when she notices that Blonde and Violet have stopped sparring. They took off their gear and Nico was treated with a glorious sight: The Blonde's leg have just the right amount of muscle definition to showcase their beauty and the Violet's breasts look like pillows where you could just sleep on. They have curves at the right places on their athletic bodies. Both of them are wearing sports bra and spandex shorts... seriously those shorts should be illegal with how short they are.

They both turn to look at the group and Nico was memorized by their eyes; it was if Nico has found sapphire and turquoise gems. Their eyes made contact and the idol can feel some heat rushing to her neck and face. Collecting herself, she turns to the group and realizes Kotori and Maki has joined in.

"Ahem." The group stops and Nico has their full attention. "You're hot." Nico slaps her forehead. "Ah fuck. Sorry!"

"Cut!" The director swings his hand backward. "We're taking it back. Nico do something about your thirst yeah?" The cast moves back to their spots.

Nico waves him off. "Yeah yeah." Nico looks over at Eli and Nozomi. "Sorry about that. It's just..." Nico takes her time to look at their clothes.

Nozomi covers her body. "This is too embarrassing."

Eli pokes Nico's forehead. "Oi eyes up front."

Nico quickly recovers and taps Eli's chest. "It's not the only thing up front."

Before the blond did anything illegal, the director claps his hand. "Alright!" The director looks around as the crew and cast get into position. He raises the megaphone near his face. "Action!"

.

. . .

. . . . .

. . . . . . .

. . . . .

. . .

.

_Chapter 2: Employees_

Nico is holding two crepes and watches Eli indulging on her chocolate crepe. "Wow, she wasn't kidding about you loving chocolate." The camera shifts to Eli who has her eyes closed as she enjoys her crepe. "Psst."

Eli opens her eyes. "Oh." She tries to blush. "It's good."

"Cut! Somebody get another crepe." The crew moves around.

Nico leans back on her chair. "At this rate the truck might run out— Ow!" Nico looks down to see Eli's feet against her shin. She scowls and kicks back at the blonde who returns the action. Now they're trading blow for blow.

Nozomi runs to them. "Wahh," She starts to wave her arms around. "No need to be aggressive." Nozomi has a sweatdrop on her face as she wrings her hands. "Be nice to each other please?"

Nico and Eli glare at each other, but a crew member comes in with a crepe and hands it to the blonde actor.

"Everyone ready?" The director looks around the area as everyone jogs into their positions. He raises his megaphone. "Action!"

.

. . .

. . . . .

. . . . . . .

. . . . .

. . .

.

_Chapter 3: Show_

Eli's eyes widen and she twists her head to see one of the 'janitors' has a broom raised over his head ready to strike Nico. Adrenaline pumps through her veins instantly; Eli grabbed Nico's waist and pushed the floor as hard as she could. They both launch off the ground and the broom barely missed Nico's head.

Nozomi reacted instantly and raised her leg to kick her heel into the assailant's shoulder which sends him flying back. Nozomi takes her retractable baton and swings it out, but the baton flies off of her hand. "Ah!"

The baton flies and hits the ground near Nico's face. "Holy shit!"

"Cut!"

"Oh my god!" Nozomi rushes over to Nico and gestures wildly. "Nico are you alright!?"

Eli gets off which allows Nico to turn around and pushes her upper body up. "I'm good."

The director walks over. "Nico are you alright?"

"I'm good." Nico repeats herself. She does the idol pose. "See? All fine."

The director stares at her for several moments. He finally nods and looks back. "Alright everyone from the top." People move around the set.

Nozomi is still gesturing, "I'm really sorry Nico."

"It's alright." Nico smiles, "It was an accident so it's all good."

Nozomi stares for a while and she nods, "Okay." She stands up and accepts the baton from a crew member.

"Here."

Nico turns her head to see Eli's hand in front of her face. She looks at Eli to see her other hand at the hip and looking elsewhere. Nico shrugs and accepts the hand; she feels light as Eli pulls her off the ground. Nico pats her butt. "Thanks."

Eli turns around. "...It's no problem." She begins her way to her spot.

Nico has a small smile on her face as follows after the blond.

The director looks around to see everyone in place. He raises his megaphone. "Action!"

.

. . .

. . . . .

. . . . . . .

. . . . .

. . .

.

_Chapter 4: Aftershock_

"Not much and thanks for the help." Nico makes her way to the front with her guards trailing behind her. "I got this house around... four months ago. I was able to unpack most of my stuff before I got too busy. On some days I would have time to clean up." She unlocks the door and twists— "What the..." Nico looks down to see a broken door knob in her hand. "Well shit."

"Cut! Everyone take five while we get the door fixed." Several crew members walk over to the door and assess the damage. Nico walks over to Eli and Nozomi as they wait until the door is fixed.

Eli has her phone out. "Squeeze any harder and you might've have taken the door."

"I apologize." Nico cradles her arm and takes a pose. "I lost control of my power and some of my true strength leaked through."

Nozomi giggles and Eli raises her eyebrow but her lips briefly quirks upward.

"Alright it's fixed." The crew leaves the set and the cast walk back to the car.

"Action!"

.

. . .

. . . . .

. . . . . . .

. . . . .

. . .

.

_Chapter 5: Gratitude_

Eli blushes but ignores them in favor of enjoying the cake and the company present. After finishing her slice, she faces Nico and Nozomi, "Thank you for doing this."

They both smile back at Eli. "It's no problem Elichi."

Nico coughed into her hand, "From now on, I'm not letting anyone's birthday pass by me."

Eli chuckles, "Fine by me."

"And cut!" The director claps his hands twice. "That's a wrap everyone."

Nico slowly backtracks to the table and picks up the rest of the cake. She walks behind Eli. "Hey Eli."

The blonde turns aro—

_SPLAT_

Eli stares in shock as parts of the cake fall off from her face.

"Ahahahaha!" Nico holds her stomach while pointing at Eli's face.

"Nico..." Eli growls.

_'Time to book it.'_ Nico turns around and takes off, But Nozomi was behind the smaller woman; Nico crashes into Nozomi and both of them fall down. "Ah!" Nico rubs her forehead and looks at Nozomi. "You okay?"

Nozomi was about to answer but she looks over Nico's shoulder.

Nico feels a hand grip her shoulder and flip her onto her back. Eli then straddles Nico with the remnants of the cake in her hand.. "Any last words?"

Nico tries to struggle but to no avail. "Urrgh. Damn your tall body you... you Blondezilla!" Eli raises her eyebrow at the nickname and proceeds to mash the cake into Nico's face. "Arrgh!"

"Ehehehe."

The both of them turn to look at Nozomi giggling into her hand. The purple-haired actress finally opens her eyes to see their staring; she stops laughing and blushes as she averts her eyes.

Nico picks a piece of cake and flicks it at Nozomi.

"Eek!" Nozomi tries to flinch away from the projectile but it was too late; the cake is stuck on her forehead.

The duo starts laughing and soon the rest of the cast join them. The director shakes his head as the crew helps the trio with the cleanup.

.

. . .

. . . . .

. . . . . . .

. . . . .

. . .

.

_Chapter 6: Prepare_

Nico and her team are at her house getting ready to leave; it's been a few days after the party and Nico is ready to get back into it. Nico looks at her guard's wardrobe, "Well, at least you girls don't look too obvious." Eli and Umi are wearing pants, Rin is wearing shorts, and Nozomi is the only one wearing a dress. But Nico isn't deceived and knows that Nozomi can take care of herself.

Nozomi smiles, "Thank you."

Umi fiddles the baton strap inside her jacket, "This still feels too unnutr— Shite!"

Nico raises her eyebrows at the accent switch.

Umi looks at the director. "Can we do that again?"

The director nods, "Alright everyone to the top!"

As people get back into position, Umi notices Nico's expression. "What?"

Nico shakes her head. "Oh nothing. I was just surprised at your accent."

"Ah right," Umi sighs, "I'm trying to get rid of it."

"Ready..." The director raises the megaphone. "And action!"

.

. . .

. . . . .

. . . . . . .

. . . . .

. . .

.

_Chapter 7: Prepare II_

Nico and her guards stay mostly silent throughout the car ride to the studio. Then Rin's phone rings out prompting Rin to take her phone and taking the call, "Hello? Ah Hanayo. Uh-huh, she's here." She turns to Nico and hands over the phone. "Hanayo wants to talk to you."

"Thank you." Nico accepts the phone, "Hey Hanayo. What's up?"

"Cut!"

Nico stares at the director. "What? What's up?"

"Your phone is upside down."

Nico looks down to see the phone is in fact upside down. "What the..." She looks at Rin who is shaking and has her mouth covered. "You little-" Nico wraps her arms around Rin's head and tightens her hold.

"Urk! It was a joke." Rin taps Nico's arm but the raven-haired actor does not relent.

It takes a while before the director speaks up. "Alright everyone get ready."

Nico releases her hold and gives the phone back to Rin. She then leans to Rin's ear. "Try to think of better one that makes it worthwhile yeah?"

Rin smiles and nods.

Nico goes back and hears Eli to her side. "Don't encourage her."

"Don't be a party pooper."

Eli elbows Nico's side.

Nico pinches Eli's thighs.

"Stop flirting!" They stop as the director looks around the set; the crew is ready. "And action!"

.

. . .

. . . . .

. . . . . . .

. . . . .

. . .

.

_Chapter 8: Prepare II_

Nico follows Maki and waits at the door as the doctor puts on her shoes. "You're always welcome to come again. I think Hanayo and Rin would like it."

Maki pauses, but opens the front door. "I'll take it into consideration." She makes her way to her car.

Nico waves at Maki, "I'll see you tonight."

Maki misses a step but she recovers and speeds up her walking... Which should have happened but Maki's shoes actually get caught in something. "Eek!" She flails her arms and falls in the grass. "Oof."

"Holy shit!" Nico runs out and checks on the redhead. "Are you ok?"

Maki rubs her left side. "Yeah."

The director jogs over to them. "Are you alright Maki?"

"Yup."

"Are you sure?"

"I'm sure." Maki stands up and smiles at them. "I'm A-OK."

"...Alright." The director turns around and gestures his arms. "Everyone back to your positions. We're starting over again."

.

. . .

. . . . .

. . . . . . .

. . . . .

. . .

.

_Chapter 9: Christmas_

Nozomi is the first one to notice her arrival, "Ah Nicocchi. I was wondering when you'll come down."

Nico rocks back and forth on her feet.

Eli stands in front of Nico, "What's wrong Nico?" Nozomi stands beside them.

_'Fuck it.'_ Nico thrusts her hands out. "Here." Both of them jumped slightly at the sudden action— "Oh shit!"

The boxes fly at the duo and bounce off of their boobs.

_BOING_

The boxes drop to the ground.

A moment of silence passes by.

"Cut!"

.

. . .

. . . . .

. . . . . . .

. . . . .

. . .

.

_Chapter 10: Interlude_

"For my official website, I have it translated to make it easier for you guys and gals to buy my stuff." Nico briefly looks off-center before looking back to the camera. "This is a small step, but sometime in the future I will give more to you." Nico shrugs and smiles, "Maybe a concert over there or something."

Nico stops in front of tree, "Well that's that. I hope you have a fun year with your friends and families. And get ready for next year 'cause—

_Plop_

"Ahh!" Nico jumps as snow landed on her head. She tries to swipe it way from her hair. "Son of a bitch."

"Nico!" Nozomi jogs over and helps Nico dust off the snow with her free hand.

"You good Nico?" The director tilts his head to get a better angle.

Nico gets almost all of it out of her head. "Yeah." Nico turns around to glare at the tree. "Stupid snow." She kicks the tree with her boot.

The tree shakes and more snow drops on the two actresses.

_PLOP_

"Ahh!"

"Son of a bitch!"

The director sighs as some members of the crew jog over to help them. He turns to his assistant. "Might as well shake the whole tree down."

.

. . .

. . . . .

. . . . . . .

. . . . .

. . .

.

_Chapter 11: Speak or Sing_

A few seconds of silence go by and Nico finally thought she was done but that woman threw a verbal hook. "Sources say that you were attacked at one of your concerts, is it true?"

Nico widens her eyes but she fought it under control. She takes a sip and tries to think something when Eli's advice comes in mind: _'Remember Nico, you can't lie otherwise it will blow in your face. But you can stretch and exaggerate the truth.'_

Nico smiles, "First off, but can you do this?" Nico holds one of the chair's adjusters and throws her body against the backrest. The chair goes completely horizontal and rolls backward from the momentum.

Rin and most of the extras cheer at the reference.

The director sighs as he rubs his forehead. "Cut!"

.

. . .

. . . . .

. . . . . . .

. . . . .

. . .

.

_Chapter 12: Bonds_

"H-Heh. That's a secret." _'Holy crap that was effective.'_ Nico smiles, _'The possibilities.'_ She looks down at the box, "Oh right." Nico rips an envelope and take the letter out:

_Dear Nico:_

_Stay strong and I will always support you._

_Sincerely,_  
_Mami_

"Awwww thanks Mami." Nico places the letter down and takes another envelope and rips it open. "Pfft HAHAHA!" Nico drops the letter as she laughs her lungs out.

"Cut!" The director walks over to them as Eli picks up the letter and Nozomi stands next to the blonde. "What the hell is so funny?"

"It-Hahaha-Its just-Hahaha-" Nico points at the letter.

The director walks and looks at the letter:

_You suck so much that the next time you show up I'll bust a cap on your Nico-Nico Knees._

Eli has a smile on her face. "That is funny." Nozomi has a quirk on her lips.

"Urgh." The director takes the letter and crumples it. He walks back to his chair. "Everyone back to your positions!"

.

. . .

. . . . .

. . . . . . .

. . . . .

. . .

.

_Chapter 13: Yazawas_

Nico, Eli, Nozomi are 'sleeping' on the couch. Then Nozomi's head slip and lands on Nico's lap.

_Thunk_

"Ow."

"Huh?" Nico flinches at the contact and opens her eyes. "What the-"

Since Nico moved her head, Eli's head slips and lands on Nozomi. "Oof."

"Cut!"

Eli opens her eyes to see a smiling Nico; the petite actress smiles, "Two hot ladies falling over me? I know I'm hot but damn."

Eli scoffs while Nozomi giggles under the blonde. "Please." Eli gets up so Nozomi can push herself upright.

Nico leans over to Eli. "So how was she?"

Eli stays silent but relents, "She was soft."

Nico grins and holds her fist out.

Eli tries to ignore the appendage. She sighs and bumps it with her fist.

.

. . .

. . . . .

. . . . . . .

. . . . .

. . .

.

_Chapter 14: Rep_

She didn't have to wait long as music starts playing around them. After several seconds a tile from the floor flew in front of Nico; the idol had to use every muscle not to jump, _'Holy fuck!'_ She leans down to see a lady in an outlandish suit with a top hat climbing out of the hole, _'Who the hell is that?'_

Once the woman got out of the hole, she struck a pose and all the lights focused on her figure, "Welcome—

_Thunk_

"OW!" Nico clutches the top of her head where the tile landed.

"Cut!" Eli, Nozomi, and other people rush to Nico to make sure she is okay. "Nico are you okay?"

Nico rubs the area. "...I think?"

The director looks around. "Everyone take an hour break." The crew starts walking away. He looks at Nico. "Have it looked at."

"Got it." Nico gives a thumbs-up. "Thanks for the break." The director nods and walks away, leaving the trio alone.

Eli stares at Nico. "Are you alright?"

Nozomi frets over Nico's head. "How are you feeling?"

"Yeah I'm good. Although..." Nico smiles up at them. "I'll feel better if you kiss it."

Nozomi places her lips on Nico's head.

"Wh—" Eli looks around the set; no one was looking at them. "That was dangerous Nozomi."

Nozomi blushes and plays with her fingers. "But she asked."

Nico pouts at Eli. "Please."

Eli picks up Nico to stand. "Let's take you to the doctor."

"Awww."

_~Chu~_

Nico jumps and pats the top of head. She then looks at Eli who is blushing and looking straight forward. She grins, "No need for the doctor. I'm already cured."

Eli scoffs while Nozomi giggles as they lead Nico to the doctor.

.

. . .

. . . . .

. . . . . . .

. . . . .

. . .

.

_Chapter 15: Organize_

"I..." The explanation calms Nico somewhat, "Alright. But you better show me the best places over there."

Eli smiles and nods, "Of course."

Nico sighs and hugs the both of them, "I'll miss you two."

They return the hug, "Ditto for us Nicocchi." They separate and join the others in organizing a plan for the concert.

"And cut! Good job everyone! That'll be it for today" The cast and crew start to clean up and leave but the director continues to stare at Nico.

His assistant notices that he still is seated. "Sir? Is everything alright?"

"Yes. Everything went smoothly."

"Isn't that good? We even finished earlier than expected."

"Yes..." He narrows his eyes at Nico. When the actress turns to look at him, the director quickly puts on a smile and waves at Nico who returns the gesture.

.

. . .

. . . . .

. . . . . . .

. . . . .

. . .

.

_Chapter 16: Westbound_

The horde of cameras surges forward to get a piece of Nico Yazawa.

Then two black SUVs speeds up to the street and stops near them. The first car's backseat door opens, "Get inside Nicocchi!"

"Nozi!?" Nico runs to the car with Rin and Umi following her; the rest goes to the second car. The four men who escorted them took their luggage and threw them in the back of the cars. Nico jumps in with Rin behind her and she briefly sees Umi slides through the hood of the car.

But Umi skids to a stop halfway and fall of the car. "Oh fuck!"

"Cut!"

Umi quickly stands up and waves her arms. "I'm good."

The director nods, "Alright everyone get back into positions."

Nico jogs to Umi. "You good?"

Umi dusts off her pants. "Ya I'm good."

"Accent is coming through."

"Shite- I mean shit."

.

. . .

. . . . .

. . . . . . .

. . . . .

. . .

.

_Chapter 17: Westcoast_

"What's up?"

Eli and Nozomi then hug Nico.

"What the—" Nico jumps but instinctively wraps around Nozomi and Eli's waist._ 'Did they pick this up here? I expected Nozi to do this, but Eli?'_

"We're sorry that you had to go through that on the first day." Eli murmurs near Nico's ear.

The idol tries not to shiver and gulps, "What? The crowd?"

"Mhm."

Nico tries to laugh it off, "It wasn't too bad. Nothing to worry about."

"It's our job to protect and worry about you Nicocchi." This time Nozomi talks, "I think we were too used to how thing go over in Japan."

"But you two did protect me." They pull back and Nico sees their faces, "You got us out of that mess."

"Cut!" The director stares at the camera as they replayed the video.

Nico peeks at both of them. "I didn't remember that being in the script."

Eli shrugs, "We did some improv."

The director looks up. "We'll keep it in."

.

. . .

. . . . .

. . . . . . .

. . . . .

. . .

.

_Chapter 18: Westcoast II_

The crowd claps at the small speech and Nico gives a short bow. The idol walks to the front and down the mini-stairs to see Eli waiting at the bottom level.

_Crack_

"Ahh!" Nico lurches forward as one of the steps crack. She closes her eyes as the ground comes closer. "Oof." _'Soft?'_ Nico slowly opens her eyes to see Eli with her arms around the smaller woman.

"You okay?"

"Y-Yeah."

The director jogs to them. "You alright Nico?"

Nico stands on her two feet and smiles at them. "I'm good."

The director nods at her and walks back to his chair. "Everyone get ready."

.

. . .

. . . . .

. . . . . . .

. . . . .

. . .

.

_Chapter 19: Heavy Impact_

"We have to wai—" She notices movement on her side of the car, "Nico get down!" Eli pulls Nico down to the seat and places her body over the idol.

_CRACK_

Eli hears the glass breaking and feels someone grabbing onto her suit and pulling her out of the car.

"Eli!"

Eli tries to resist but another pair of hands grasps her shoulders and she is almost out of the car.

_Thunk_

"OW!"

"Shit. Are you alright?"

Eli is kneeling on the street with her hands around her head as the extras stand next to the blonde.

"Cut! You alright?"

Eli stands up as she rubs her head. "I'm good! Just a small bump."

Nico comes around the corner and her lips curve upwards. "That's what you get for being so tall Blondezilla."

Eli halfheartedly throws a kick in Nico's direction.

"Hahaha." Nico dodges the kick.

.

. . .

. . . . .

. . . . . . .

. . . . .

. . .

.

_Chapter 20: Aftermath_

After a few moments in silence, Alice finally nods her head, "Under normal circumstances I would not accept this kind of deal. But I would not consider this normal. I will not lend you my resources in this endeavor."

Honoka and everyone else bows to Alice, "Thank— Wait what?"

Alice makes her way to the door and stops at the front. "Alas 'tis a cruel fate for Nico but I believe that all of you can overcome this trial by yourselves. Good day." Alice leaves through the door.

Everyone stares around in confusion.

"Cut!" The director rubs his forehead and mutters to himself. "Goddamn it she's just as bad as Nico."

.

. . .

. . . . .

. . . . . . .

. . . . .

. . .

.

_Chapter 21: Recuperate_

Nico is the only one in the video; the idol's face is pale and she seems to wearing rags as her clothes. Nico seems to be trembling as she holds onto a piece of cardboard. She then opens her mouth:

"Tyrants of the First World, 

Y-You have failed in your attempts to stop the Brotherhood. You thought you have won but you're sorely mistaken for we are still here. Nico then smiles, "Which is why you should hire me, Nico Yazawa, professional idol and World's Number 1 cutie. With me by your side I can turn anyone to be my fan, even terrorists."

"Cut! Nico read the script."

.

. . .

. . . . .

. . . . . . .

. . . . .

. . .

.

_Chapter 22: Train_

Eli shakes her head, "Not like this. We trained you against amateurs, not professionally trained terrorists."

"I—" Rin shakes her head, "No... No!"

Nozomi raises her hand, "Rin—"

"Nico is my friend!" Rin grips her elbow, "I failed her by not being there. I can't..." She shakes her head, "Not this time."

"Can you kill someone?" Eli steps closer to Rin, "Can you aim gun at them and puu- Shit!" Eli turns to the camera. "Can we do that again?"

"Cut! Let's go back."

Eli works her mouth. "Pull. Pull."

Rin gins at Eli. "Don't pull a mouth muscle there."

Eli raises her eyebrow at Rin. The blonde then smirks and advances. "Oh I'll pull something out."

"Hey." The director's voice sounds tired. "No maiming your coworkers."

.

. . .

. . . . .

. . . . . . .

. . . . .

. . .

.

_Chapter 23: Counterstrike_

"Psh." Athena turns around and clasps her hands behind her head, "More like sleep through them." Zeus glares at Athena and slaps her ass, "OW! What the fuck!?"

"You're so going to get it when we get back to the hotel."

Athena blushes, "The fuck are you saying in front of strangers!?"

"Cut!" The director looks back at the video replay. He starts to chuckle to himself. _'I must be cursed.'_ "We'll keep it in."

.

. . .

. . . . .

. . . . . . .

. . . . .

. . .

.

_Chapter 24: Deploy_

Eli rounds the corner and pulls the trigger twice. Two bodies drop to the floor and Eli stops in front of the door. She peeks through the door to see the idol with her mouth gagged and her extremities strapped to a chair. "Nico!" Eli pushes her way in and hesitates when she sees the eye-patch on the left eye.

Nico screams are muffled as she jerks her head to Eli's left side.

Instincts scream at Eli's body and she pivots around; Anton has some kind of club and is swinging an overhead strike to Eli's head. Eli quickly brings her rifle up to intercept the blow.

_THWACK_

"OW!"

"Oh shit! Are you alright?"

Eli didn't raise her rifle up in time and the club hits her on the head. Luckily the club was made out of foam but that thing can still hurt.

"Ahahahaha." Nico shakes in her chair at the sight. "That was hilarious!"

Eli scowls and picks up the club to throw it at Nico; it lands right in the center of Nico's forehead.

_Thunk_

"OW!" Alright that's it." Nico starts to jump in her chair, moving it slightly toward to Eli. "Come here!"

The director sighs, "Cut!"

.

. . .

. . . . .

. . . . . . .

. . . . .

. . .

.

_Chapter 25: Home_

Eli nods, "The bracelets were broken but we were able to save the gems. We asked a favor from Alice to have it fixed and fitted onto those earrings." Eli stands by Nico's left side, "We want to stay by your side forever."

Nozomi stands by Nico's right side, "Will you let us?"

Nico feels tears streaming down her face as she cups her mouth. She jumps up and hugs both of them, "Yes!"

"Ahh!"

"Ahh!"

The two of them did not expect the jump and could only hold the position for a few seconds; the trio falls down to the floor.

Eli starts laughing, "Damn it Nico. Your fat ass is too heavy."

"Take that back." Nico tickles Eli's ribs.

"Ahahaha stop!"

The assistant looks at the director. "Sir?"

"We'll just edit it out." He starts walking to his trailer. "We're done for the day anyway."

Nozomi just laughs at their antics.

.

. . .

. . . . .

. . . . . . .

. . . . .

. . .

.

_Chapter 26: Graduation_

"Yeah!" Nico takes another picture and looks at the result. Eli is hugging a grinning Nozomi with the Parthenon behind them. Nico gives them a thumbs-up. "Looks great!"

The duo walks over the ex-idol as Nozomi looks at the picture while Eli looks at Nico. "It's a little early but where do you want to go next?"

Nico taps her chin. "Let's go to France."

"And cut!" The director stands up and starts clapping, "Yes! Congratulation everyone! We just finished the last scene." Everyone starts to clap as well. _'It's done. I'm finally free.'_

.

. . .

. . . . .

. . . . . . .

. . . . .

. . .

.

"Director, this show has been hailed as the best anyone has seen in the past two decades. What do you have to say about this accomplishment?"

"Well I couldn't have done this without the help of the cast and crew. They're the ones who've done most of the heavy-lifting."

"I heard that there have been talks of another season. Can you give us any information on that?"

"I can't confirm nor deny that claim." _'NOOOOOOOOO.'_

* * *

* * *

**.**

**And fin.**

**Well these are the extra scenes that would be in a DVD. So I created these omakes when I finished the chapters so there are some dead memes in there.**

**One more extra chapter to go so see ya soon.**

**Thanks for reading**

**Constructive criticisms are appreciated**

**Bravo Tango out.**


	28. End

**Hey everyone. **

"Blah" — Speech

"Blah" — Speech in another language

_'Blah' _— Thoughts

[ Blah ] — Text

*_Blah_* — Sound effects in speech

(**_Blah_**) — Author's notes

**Disclaimer: I do not own any characters of Love Live! School Idol Project. This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author's imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.**

* * *

* * *

_And so the Curtains close_

_Click_

**Is this on?**

** _Ahem_ **

**So it's been a year since I've started this huh.**

**Hello to anyone who clicked on this chapter. I am Bravo Tango and this is the behind-the-scenes. For—**

"Yoooo!" A figure jumps in with a packet of papers tucked under her arm. "Nico-Nico-Nii!"

**Ah Nico. Thank you for coming.**

"No problem. Let's get this started."

**Eager are we?**

Nico nods, "Yup. Nozi n' Eli are waiting for me at the house. We're going visit Eli's family in Russia."

**Oh how nice. Well then I won't take much of your time and let's begin. Side note, the questions might seem to be out-of-order and I apologize for that.**

"Right," Nico brings the paper in in front of her. "So where did the idea for this story come from?"

**Funny story actually. I remember that I wanted to watch the intro sequence of Advance Warfare and I ended up watching the entire story. It was around the time that I started to write stories on this website and I had just finished a large collection of Love Live doujins. And so I had a prompt where you were in the Advance Warfare world.**

**Before I continue I should put this here: Spoiler Warning for Advanced Warfare.**

"Yeah you should put that there just in case." Nico then perks up. "Hold on, did that mean I could have exo suits and fly?

**Technically, the exo suits would let you jump and grapple to high places. Anyway, I wanted you to be an idol in an exo suit. You would perform concerts and raise morale for soldiers. Your dad would have been friends with the CEO of Atlas, Jonathon Irons. Your story would probably take place before the beginning of the game and then do a time-skip to after the nuclear plant explosions.**

**After that you felt a need to be an idol and raise the spirits of the people affected from the disaster. Irons agreed and sent two Atlas specialists, Eli and Nozomi, to protect you when you do the shows.**

"Oh hey that's the premise for this show."

**Yup. So the three of you would build a relationship as you perform the concerts. You would meet the other members of Muse on occasion. Along the way you and Irons would have some sort of father-daughter relationship and I had hoped that dynamic would change his mind about world war. It was STUPID to have him as an antagonist.**

"Wow."

**Yeah. I really hated how he just wanted to declare war on everyone. I wanted to see how the governments around the world would react when a private company joins the U.N. This company can rival and even top some governments. I would have been cool with him making questionable decisions and have you as someone who would argue against and be some sort of anchor. But NOPE! They made him the villain of the story with shitty motivations.**

"...You good?"

**Yeah. Just needed to get that out of my system. Anyway, after the success of your concerts, the terrorists would ambush your convoy and kidnap you.**

"Same thing that happened in this story?"

**It'll be more gritty and explosive since well... you work for a private superpower and exo-suits are involved. The plot will be similar where you are held captive while Eli and Nozomi would find a way to rescue you with the help of Atlas. I probably would have added the characters of the game into the story.**

"Dude..." Nico has both of her eyebrows raised. "This sounded like a neat premise. What changed?"

**Lots of reasons. First one was that as I wrote the outline, there were many details from both worlds I had to be careful for. Another is that not lot of people would search for a Love Live Warfare crossover. Then I saw some sort of movie about bodyguards and I thought it could work; no exo suits but I didn't have to much change of the story.**

"Alright," Nico shifts the paper. "So how long did you plan out this story?"

**Planned it in my head for a week, but I wrote the general outline of the story in a day. Looking at it, I'm really surprised at how most of the outline stayed similar to this story. Funny thing was that I was planning to make this a one-shot.**

"Holy shit."

**Yeah it would have been my longest one-shot I ever wrote.**

"Kay." She flips through the paper. "How about some info about Sphera?"

**Ah this one. The original name was Titan Security but I wanted to convey a powerful company that has power in multiple countries. So I took inspiration from Atlas and Sphera came into fruition; it is also Latin for sphere.**

**Tsubasa's initial job was a captain of an elite mercenary squad but it was changed to what she has now.**

**The company originally would have sold multiple popular brand products.**

**I originally planned to have a no-name CEO but I decided to have Alice. Fun fact, she is my first character to open the door for me to the doujin world and in turn to the Love Live world.**

"Aww," Nico pouts, "I'm not your favorite?"

**Oh you're my favorite first in Love Live, but you're not the top overall. You're pretty close though.**

"Well shoot."

**Sorry.**

Nico looks back at the papers. "What kind of references did you make?"

**Lets see:**

**John Wick with the suited body armor.**

**Madoka Magica names.**

**Touhou Project names.**

**Taken scene inspiration where Liam Neeson saves the singer.**

**Advaced Warfare with the exo suit prototypes and the superpower company.**

**Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter with RHINO.**

Nico looks at the last page. "Anything else you want to add?"

**Oh yeah. I probably won't do another multi-chapter story for a long time. Especially during the school years. Don't get me wrong this was a fun story but it was stressful writing this in the semester.**

"It's all good and you finished it."

**I'll stick to one-shots from here on out and I'll have to see after I'm done with school if I want to do another big story. Maybe I'll do some pieces on this universe.**

"That sounds neat."

**I think that's about it. Thank you Nico for your time and your help for this story.**

"No problem."

**Though I'm sorry for doing that to your eye.**

"It's all good." Nico traces a finger on the scar. "Nozi says I look hot with it and I know Eli thinks so too but she doesn't want to admit it out loud." She then throws the papers up the air. "Welp! It looks like we're done here. It's been a fun ride and I'm glad we finished." Nico starts walking off screen and waves her hand. "See you later and call us when you got a piece yeah?"

**Goodbye Nico and I wish you a happy trip with Nozomi and Eli.**

**Thank you all for staying with me on this crazy ride. Have a great day and I'll see you later.**

**Bravo Tango out.**

_Click_


End file.
